In order to have effective VoIP you have to have broadband internet service. Currently where I live there are only two real options. DSL through the phone company or broadband cable through Time Warner.
So let's see...
DSL through phone company - phone service already regulated by FCC (including additional fees...) CHECK
Broadband through TWC - Cable already regulated by FCC (including additional fees...) CHECK
So how is my VoIP not regulated?
If they levy MORE fees on my VoIP provider then I'd want to know what those fees were and if I was already paying them.
LNP fee? F* that, I already paid into that black hole with my previous ILEC and they wouldn't even port my number, no thanks.
911 fee? Maybe, if they'll hook my VoIP provider DIRECTLY into the 911 service. But don't charge me again on my DSL bill.
Franchise Fee? F* no, it's a dumb fee anyway. Besides I'm already paying that to my cable company.
So what is this regulation going to ADD for the consumer?
The "Slippery Slope" is a LOGICAL fallacy, not a COMMON SENSE fallacy. Obviously if we've seen things go from bad to worse, we should be on the look out. That's COMMON SENSE. But things do not always go from bad to worse, sometimes they stay the same or get better. That's why the "Slippery Slope" is not useful in an argument based purely on formal logic. Formal logic deals in absolutes.
Common Sense: Let's donate to the EFF because the PATRIOT act takes some freedoms away and it's a slippery slope to having all our freedoms being taken away.
This is not a formal argument. It's a statement. The slippery slope is used for effect. It's an alegory, and a fine use if it if I do say so myself.
Formal Argument: The government has enacted the Patriot Act The Patriot Act takes away some freedoms. When some freedomes are removed, eventually all freedomes are removed (hello slippery slope!) --------------- Conclusion: The Government will eventually take away all our freedoms.
This is a false argument. The conclusion may or may not be true, but the argument does not support it's truth. The slippry slope statement is a fallacy and is easily negated, thus negating the whole argument.
> The OP believes that it isn't theft if the > stolen items were obtained through fraud
No the OP believes that the term "Identity Theft" implies that the identity was stolen. Just as your "Lock Theft" implies that the lock was stolen.
There is a crime here, it's theft of property (the merchandise that was stolen from the store). The mechanism used to steal the stuff was fraudulent use of someone's credentials (identity). This mechanism already has a term (fraud) and it's already a crime to perpetrate it.
The OP is complaining because everyone keeps using the term "identity theft" for which there is no crime on the books.
No doubt some official somewhere will get lathered up and make a law about "identity theft" when there is a perfectly good one available.
>We don't talk about "Lock theft" >(as in you pick a lock, get in, >take what you want, and run out)
It's called "Breaking and entering" and it's a seperate crime from theft. You get charged with B&E even if you didn't take anything or just "looked around". Even if you didn't "break" anything to get in.
If you steal stuff, you're charged with that too.
The law is pretty specific about these kinds of things. Fraud is fraud, theft is theft. They are not the same thing.
SIP is only used for call setup in VOIP applications (and I'm assumeing for this file shareing app as well, I didn't RTFA).
Once set up, the media is a seperate connection. So your bosses conference call won't die more often if this application hogs the BW, but it might become impossible to actualy make or recieve the call in the first place...
I'd like to be able to have a firewall type box between my home network and the internet (ala Linux Router Project type box, except I don't need an LRP box since I bought a wireless router already...).
I want that box to block all web pages unless a password is provided (then allow all access).
I want to be presented with a web page when a blocked page is reached with the ability to put in a password and have that page be added to the list of allowed pages/domans.
Does anyone know of such a project (Open source prefered)
The advantage of non-renewable fossil fuels is that they've already been paid for (millions of years ago) So we don't have to worry about the cost of produceing it, only the cost of mining, refinement and distribution.
So I'll make some numbers up:
500 barrels out of the ground 50 barrels to fuel the mining operation 100 barrels to fuel the refinement operation 80 barrels to fuel the distribution ------- 270 barrels left over to sell (Profit!)
When you start talking about sustainable fuels, like your example of ethanol (methane is another example); you have to start considering the energy requirements of production. You trade the cost of mineing for the cost of production (farming equipment uses a lot of fuel...)
500 barrels out from the field 150 barrels to fuel the farming operation 100 barrels to fuel the refinement operation 80 barrels to fuel the distribution ------- 170 barrels left over to sell (Profit!)
Assumeing my made up numbers hold water...
An energy company with an existing petrolium infrastructure is going to stick with oil since there is no clear advantage to going with farmed fuel (lower profit). Of course if the cost of farming, refining and distributing is greater than the fuel produced, there is no incentive at all and it's only a cost offset for the farmer, and we'll still run out of fossil fuel eventually...
Hydorgen fuel cells are not a fuel, they are a storage mechanism. Where do you get the Hydrogen to fuel your fuel cell? Probably from a non-renewable hydrocarbon (like propane or butane) or from an energy company that produces your hydrogen compound by using traditional energy sources (electricity from oil or coal).
Hopefully there will be an efficiency gain due to economies of scale (produce lots of power in one place and distribute it) But don't make the mistake of thinking that by moving around where the petrolium fuel is produced that the problem is gone.
Granted, methanol can be nasty, but ethanol is fine. Considering I never died in college and dropped my share of plastic bottles of Everclear it get's my seal of approval (whatever that's worth).
I've even heard of fuel cells that use butane (sorry no links...). The occurence of cigarette lighters should attest to the saftey of butane as a fuel.
Holy crap, I've got my Funny +1 modifier on maximum downgrade and this still slipped through. Moderators, please do your job. This comment is funny but not particularly interesting.
Mozilla - So I can see the web without ActiveX and with tabs MS Office 2000 - The gold standard. No calling the mothership. Cygwin - So I can actually do something on the console ImageMagik - batch image work for auction pics Quicken - gotta keep track of cash Palm Desktop - 'Cause of my Palm AdAware - Because my wife still uses IE
That's it!
Actually that's what ends up on the home laptops (not including wireless network drivers etc...) because they are basically internet kiosks for me, the wife and kids. Other "working" machines (Linux installs, desktops...) are loaded up with what they need to do their function. Games, video editing software, development tools, Apache, etc...
The problem isn't directly with Debold (although they definitely are culpable).
The fault lay with the requirements produced by California (and any other state trying E-Voting). That is to say, none. They just said "Give us E-Voting, whatever that means"
The agencies should NOT be allowing the machine producers to define the voting method. They will invariably produce a mechanism that maximizes profit potential. How do you test the machines once you get them. You don't even understand the process since you didn't develop it. As a developer I can tell you NEVER let development produce the requirements. We miss everything and when you think you found a bug we just say "it works as designed".
The various election agencies need to come up with a definitive set of requirements for what an E-Voting machine should do. The level of detail should be excruciating.
The agencies also need to define and publish policy and procedure around these devices as well. You don't actually need to devices to do this. If they are built to your requirements then the procedures can be followed.
The kinds of requirements need to cover things like:
A paper receipt must be produced by the voting machine with human and machine readable type. If the machine readable type is not the same as the human readable type, the code produced must not be unique per voter or voter session (i.e. I can't transcribe the code and use it to prove who I voted for or you cant prove who I voted for)
The executing code must be certified (Open or not) and must then be cryptographically signed. The certified cryptographic checksum must be published 30 days before the election and each voting machine must display the checksum at all times during operation in a place that is visible to voters (i.e. I can write down the checksum and verify that the machine I'm using is using the correct version of the software)
When setting up a voting area each machine must be checked for the proper software checksum. (potentially a matching of software checksum and hardware specification, a use for Trusted Computing perhaps?)
Each machine must be able to produce test ballots for every candidate and the test ballots must be accepted by the designated reader machine. The test ballots will be conspicuously marked in a human and machine readable way. The reader will display the candidate indicated on the test ballot when reading (could be a screen, 7-seg display code, whatever).
Lots more, in much more detail that I went into...
The speedometer typically measures speed from the non-powered wheels. So when your car is stuck in the snow with it's wheels spinning, the speedometer shows 0mph/kph.
I'm not interested in paying the artist. Or the RIAA or the owner of the used CD shop. As a matter of fact, if I could get the music for free (legally) I would.
Since the used CD shop owner has the CD and he is demanding $8.00 for it, I'll pony up the cash.
All I want out of the deal is to OWN the CD I'm looking for.
And this affects me how? I just might be convinced to care if the vendor passed on the savings to me for using cash, but they don't.
And guess what. They don't want me using cash. Sure there's a 1.5% - 3% premium for using a CC, but then they don't have to manage cash in the store. This includes the risk of cashier theft, Store robbery and deposit robbery. Any CC purchase is done and paid with very little risk of theft.
So I'll keep using my CC for all purchases, big or small. Thanks.
Now, if the $1 coin were accepted in more vending machines I might be convinced to carry those...
It goes beyond that. Dish has to list the coupons as a liability on the books. It shows up on the quarterly report. I'm sure the coupons will have an expiration date on them and they'll have to carry the charge until the expiration date.
So on paper (which shareholders and investors look at) it will be substantial.
Actually, they would only need to provide the source to that other classified agency so you'd still never see the source.
I'm pretty sure they want the code in the open for two reasons:
1: For general adoption and compatibility, creating a defacto standard for secure Linux. In the open so no one will argue that the code is not auditable.
2: To get the changes in mainstream Linux so that they can keep up with current Linux technology without having to do massive ports (let the community do the heavy lifting for them, that's one of the major benifits of Open Source)
I neglected to run my post through the spell checker so I guess it serves me right that I'd get a bucket full of AC flamebait.
As to being from the US or India, my poor spelling (and grammar for that matter) should have been a dead giveaway. Here's another hint: Apu would kick my ass in US history Jeopardy.
And the axe has already fallen on you Mr AC. You're so afraid of your own shadow that you won't post under your real account. Don't bother to reply since I could never be sure it's really you.
US companies "outsource" within the US as well. I was hired by a company based in San Jose. I live in NC. The guy doing the hiring was pitching an NC development location due to the concentration of telecom/network developers (Nortel, Lucent, Alcatel, Ericson, Cisco all have a large presence here).
The cost of living is a lot less here than SJC. We were all making about 20% less than our SJC counter-parts and still being paid a very competitive salary for NC.
You could open a development center in Deer Lick West Virginia and save even more. The problem would be finding developers. One of the benefits of Delhi is there is a large concentration of technology in a low cost place. That's hard to find.
You going to India and getting a job with an Indian company for 11k a year is like an Indian comming to America and getting a job for 60k a year.
Which has very little to do with outsourcing. That would be "Insourceing" I guess.
It's not easy for an Indian to come to the USA and get a job. We have enough people looking for jobs right now, no thanks. The same is true in India. They don't need you moveing to India, takeing a job from one of the millions of Indians who want to work and whineing about crappy pay.
Outsourceing is about finding a cheap resource somewhere non-local. India doesn't have a need to outsource to the USA because we don't have a labor force they need at a price they want.
If you want to talk about labor moves that arn't outsourceing, try protectionist actions that are ostensibly created to save jobs but CAUSE jobs to move out of the USA.
Sugar tariffs and limits on imported sugar that protect sugar industry employees but cause domestic candy manufacturers to move to Canada and elsewhere because then they are allowed to buy cheaper sugar from abroad. The steel and automotive industry have a similar relationship.
Sucks to be effected. The bottom line is to stay nimble. Keep your eye on the horizon and don't load up on debt you can't pay off when the axe falls.
I had Dish Network a few years ago. The satalite digital picture kicked the crap out of the cable picture quality and cost less to boot!
Due to my location and the location of my neighbors trees, I had to give it up. I cried.
We signed up for digital cable (which had become available in the 4 years I was on satalite) which was comparable to the satalite digital. The cost was about the same as I was paying for satalite. Due, no doubt, to the competition.
When we moved, I did a lot of research and I could not work out a satalite plan that cost less than cable for similar service (including access from 3 rooms and local stations). The satalite killer is the per box charge and the extra charge for locals. I could stomach the cost for local stations (they have to pay them), but I cannot understand $4 per box past one. What is the cost to them for my additional boxes? All they ended up doing was pricing them out of my house!
I would love to give the finger to Time Warner, but I'm not going to pay extra to do it.
BTW, For the same cost as Dish was going to charge me (without PVR -additional fee-) I was able to get the Time Warner Digital Cable AND DVR box. The Box is SLOW, but the service is SWEET! Better than my friends Dish PVR boxes.
So the bottom line is: Thanks Dish, I loved you when I had you! And thanks again for forcing my local cable company to price competitavely. Lower your prices and I'll switch over a weekend.
Who cares if they stop 2D animation? If there is a demand for it someone will produce it. If not Disney, the someone else. If it turns out 2D becomes a phenom, I'm sure Disney will jump back in to the cash pool.
Slashdot Mirror
In order to have effective VoIP you have to have broadband internet service. Currently where I live there are only two real options. DSL through the phone company or broadband cable through Time Warner.
So let's see...
DSL through phone company - phone service already regulated by FCC (including additional fees...) CHECK
Broadband through TWC - Cable already regulated by FCC (including additional fees...) CHECK
So how is my VoIP not regulated?
If they levy MORE fees on my VoIP provider then I'd want to know what those fees were and if I was already paying them.
LNP fee? F* that, I already paid into that black hole with my previous ILEC and they wouldn't even port my number, no thanks.
911 fee? Maybe, if they'll hook my VoIP provider DIRECTLY into the 911 service. But don't charge me again on my DSL bill.
Franchise Fee? F* no, it's a dumb fee anyway. Besides I'm already paying that to my cable company.
So what is this regulation going to ADD for the consumer?
=Shreak
The "Slippery Slope" is a LOGICAL fallacy, not a COMMON SENSE fallacy. Obviously if we've seen things go from bad to worse, we should be on the look out. That's COMMON SENSE. But things do not always go from bad to worse, sometimes they stay the same or get better. That's why the "Slippery Slope" is not useful in an argument based purely on formal logic. Formal logic deals in absolutes.
Common Sense:
Let's donate to the EFF because the PATRIOT act takes some freedoms away and it's a slippery slope to having all our freedoms being taken away.
This is not a formal argument. It's a statement. The slippery slope is used for effect. It's an alegory, and a fine use if it if I do say so myself.
Formal Argument:
The government has enacted the Patriot Act
The Patriot Act takes away some freedoms.
When some freedomes are removed, eventually all freedomes are removed (hello slippery slope!)
---------------
Conclusion: The Government will eventually take away all our freedoms.
This is a false argument. The conclusion may or may not be true, but the argument does not support it's truth. The slippry slope statement is a fallacy and is easily negated, thus negating the whole argument.
=Shreak
> The OP believes that it isn't theft if the
> stolen items were obtained through fraud
No the OP believes that the term "Identity Theft" implies that the identity was stolen. Just as your "Lock Theft" implies that the lock was stolen.
There is a crime here, it's theft of property (the merchandise that was stolen from the store). The mechanism used to steal the stuff was fraudulent use of someone's credentials (identity). This mechanism already has a term (fraud) and it's already a crime to perpetrate it.
The OP is complaining because everyone keeps using the term "identity theft" for which there is no crime on the books.
No doubt some official somewhere will get lathered up and make a law about "identity theft" when there is a perfectly good one available.
=Shreak
>We don't talk about "Lock theft"
>(as in you pick a lock, get in,
>take what you want, and run out)
It's called "Breaking and entering" and it's a seperate crime from theft. You get charged with B&E even if you didn't take anything or just "looked around". Even if you didn't "break" anything to get in.
If you steal stuff, you're charged with that too.
The law is pretty specific about these kinds of things. Fraud is fraud, theft is theft. They are not the same thing.
=Shreak
SIP is only used for call setup in VOIP applications (and I'm assumeing for this file shareing app as well, I didn't RTFA).
Once set up, the media is a seperate connection. So your bosses conference call won't die more often if this application hogs the BW, but it might become impossible to actualy make or recieve the call in the first place...
=Shreak
Yikes. The post I made to the parent should have gone here! Drat!
=Shreak
Even though you're an AC and I'm reading this a day old, I'd still give 'em to ya.
=Shreak
I'd like to be able to have a firewall type box between my home network and the internet (ala Linux Router Project type box, except I don't need an LRP box since I bought a wireless router already...).
I want that box to block all web pages unless a password is provided (then allow all access).
I want to be presented with a web page when a blocked page is reached with the ability to put in a password and have that page be added to the list of allowed pages/domans.
Does anyone know of such a project (Open source prefered)
=Shreak
I'll yes and no you back :)
The advantage of non-renewable fossil fuels is that they've already been paid for (millions of years ago) So we don't have to worry about the cost of produceing it, only the cost of mining, refinement and distribution.
So I'll make some numbers up:
500 barrels out of the ground
50 barrels to fuel the mining operation
100 barrels to fuel the refinement operation
80 barrels to fuel the distribution
-------
270 barrels left over to sell (Profit!)
When you start talking about sustainable fuels, like your example of ethanol (methane is another example); you have to start considering the energy requirements of production. You trade the cost of mineing for the cost of production (farming equipment uses a lot of fuel...)
500 barrels out from the field
150 barrels to fuel the farming operation
100 barrels to fuel the refinement operation
80 barrels to fuel the distribution
-------
170 barrels left over to sell (Profit!)
Assumeing my made up numbers hold water...
An energy company with an existing petrolium infrastructure is going to stick with oil since there is no clear advantage to going with farmed fuel (lower profit). Of course if the cost of farming, refining and distributing is greater than the fuel produced, there is no incentive at all and it's only a cost offset for the farmer, and we'll still run out of fossil fuel eventually...
=Shreak
Hydorgen fuel cells are not a fuel, they are a storage mechanism. Where do you get the Hydrogen to fuel your fuel cell? Probably from a non-renewable hydrocarbon (like propane or butane) or from an energy company that produces your hydrogen compound by using traditional energy sources (electricity from oil or coal).
Hopefully there will be an efficiency gain due to economies of scale (produce lots of power in one place and distribute it) But don't make the mistake of thinking that by moving around where the petrolium fuel is produced that the problem is gone.
=Shreak
The fuel cells I've read about use ethanol or methanol.:
2 70 600.cellphone.jhtml
0 .h tml
o gy /ontheedge_0306.html
http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2000/06/front.
http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,58119,0
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technol
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/102/C2815/
Granted, methanol can be nasty, but ethanol is fine. Considering I never died in college and dropped my share of plastic bottles of Everclear it get's my seal of approval (whatever that's worth).
I've even heard of fuel cells that use butane (sorry no links...). The occurence of cigarette lighters should attest to the saftey of butane as a fuel.
=Shreak
Holy crap, I've got my Funny +1 modifier on maximum downgrade and this still slipped through. Moderators, please do your job. This comment is funny but not particularly interesting.
=Shreak
Mozilla - So I can see the web without ActiveX and with tabs
MS Office 2000 - The gold standard. No calling the mothership.
Cygwin - So I can actually do something on the console
ImageMagik - batch image work for auction pics
Quicken - gotta keep track of cash
Palm Desktop - 'Cause of my Palm
AdAware - Because my wife still uses IE
That's it!
Actually that's what ends up on the home laptops (not including wireless network drivers etc...) because they are basically internet kiosks for me, the wife and kids. Other "working" machines (Linux installs, desktops...) are loaded up with what they need to do their function. Games, video editing software, development tools, Apache, etc...
Of course work is different...
=Shreak
The problem isn't directly with Debold (although they definitely are culpable).
The fault lay with the requirements produced by California (and any other state trying E-Voting). That is to say, none. They just said "Give us E-Voting, whatever that means"
The agencies should NOT be allowing the machine producers to define the voting method. They will invariably produce a mechanism that maximizes profit potential. How do you test the machines once you get them. You don't even understand the process since you didn't develop it. As a developer I can tell you NEVER let development produce the requirements. We miss everything and when you think you found a bug we just say "it works as designed".
The various election agencies need to come up with a definitive set of requirements for what an E-Voting machine should do. The level of detail should be excruciating.
The agencies also need to define and publish policy and procedure around these devices as well. You don't actually need to devices to do this. If they are built to your requirements then the procedures can be followed.
The kinds of requirements need to cover things like:
A paper receipt must be produced by the voting machine with human and machine readable type. If the machine readable type is not the same as the human readable type, the code produced must not be unique per voter or voter session (i.e. I can't transcribe the code and use it to prove who I voted for or you cant prove who I voted for)
The executing code must be certified (Open or not) and must then be cryptographically signed. The certified cryptographic checksum must be published 30 days before the election and each voting machine must display the checksum at all times during operation in a place that is visible to voters (i.e. I can write down the checksum and verify that the machine I'm using is using the correct version of the software)
When setting up a voting area each machine must be checked for the proper software checksum. (potentially a matching of software checksum and hardware specification, a use for Trusted Computing perhaps?)
Each machine must be able to produce test ballots for every candidate and the test ballots must be accepted by the designated reader machine. The test ballots will be conspicuously marked in a human and machine readable way. The reader will display the candidate indicated on the test ballot when reading (could be a screen, 7-seg display code, whatever).
Lots more, in much more detail that I went into...
=Shreak
The speedometer typically measures speed from the non-powered wheels. So when your car is stuck in the snow with it's wheels spinning, the speedometer shows 0mph/kph.
=Shreak
> hahaha Insightful?
I just type 'em, I don't rate 'em. You got one too, go figure. I guess you can't account for the mod's taste.
>If your only basis for morality is law,
>then you should take an ethics course sometime.
Never said law was my basis for morality.
>If your only reason you want to buy
>it is to cover your ass, you are buying
>for all the wrong reasons.
hmmm... I didn't say this either. are you sure you replied to the right posting?
=Shreak
I'm not interested in paying the artist. Or the RIAA or the owner of the used CD shop. As a matter of fact, if I could get the music for free (legally) I would.
Since the used CD shop owner has the CD and he is demanding $8.00 for it, I'll pony up the cash.
All I want out of the deal is to OWN the CD I'm looking for.
=Shreak
And this affects me how? I just might be convinced to care if the vendor passed on the savings to me for using cash, but they don't.
And guess what. They don't want me using cash. Sure there's a 1.5% - 3% premium for using a CC, but then they don't have to manage cash in the store. This includes the risk of cashier theft, Store robbery and deposit robbery. Any CC purchase is done and paid with very little risk of theft.
So I'll keep using my CC for all purchases, big or small. Thanks.
Now, if the $1 coin were accepted in more vending machines I might be convinced to carry those...
=Shreak
It goes beyond that. Dish has to list the coupons as a liability on the books. It shows up on the quarterly report. I'm sure the coupons will have an expiration date on them and they'll have to carry the charge until the expiration date.
So on paper (which shareholders and investors look at) it will be substantial.
=Shreak
Actually, they would only need to provide the source to that other classified agency so you'd still never see the source.
I'm pretty sure they want the code in the open for two reasons:
1: For general adoption and compatibility, creating a defacto standard for secure Linux. In the open so no one will argue that the code is not auditable.
2: To get the changes in mainstream Linux so that they can keep up with current Linux technology without having to do massive ports (let the community do the heavy lifting for them, that's one of the major benifits of Open Source)
I neglected to run my post through the spell checker so I guess it serves me right that I'd get a bucket full of AC flamebait.
As to being from the US or India, my poor spelling (and grammar for that matter) should have been a dead giveaway. Here's another hint: Apu would kick my ass in US history Jeopardy.
And the axe has already fallen on you Mr AC. You're so afraid of your own shadow that you won't post under your real account. Don't bother to reply since I could never be sure it's really you.
=Shreak
US companies "outsource" within the US as well. I was hired by a company based in San Jose. I live in NC. The guy doing the hiring was pitching an NC development location due to the concentration of telecom/network developers (Nortel, Lucent, Alcatel, Ericson, Cisco all have a large presence here).
The cost of living is a lot less here than SJC. We were all making about 20% less than our SJC counter-parts and still being paid a very competitive salary for NC.
You could open a development center in Deer Lick West Virginia and save even more. The problem would be finding developers. One of the benefits of Delhi is there is a large concentration of technology in a low cost place. That's hard to find.
=Shreak
You going to India and getting a job with an Indian company for 11k a year is like an Indian comming to America and getting a job for 60k a year.
Which has very little to do with outsourcing. That would be "Insourceing" I guess.
It's not easy for an Indian to come to the USA and get a job. We have enough people looking for jobs right now, no thanks. The same is true in India. They don't need you moveing to India, takeing a job from one of the millions of Indians who want to work and whineing about crappy pay.
Outsourceing is about finding a cheap resource somewhere non-local. India doesn't have a need to outsource to the USA because we don't have a labor force they need at a price they want.
If you want to talk about labor moves that arn't outsourceing, try protectionist actions that are ostensibly created to save jobs but CAUSE jobs to move out of the USA.
Sugar tariffs and limits on imported sugar that protect sugar industry employees but cause domestic candy manufacturers to move to Canada and elsewhere because then they are allowed to buy cheaper sugar from abroad. The steel and automotive industry have a similar relationship.
Sucks to be effected. The bottom line is to stay nimble. Keep your eye on the horizon and don't load up on debt you can't pay off when the axe falls.
=Shreak
I use Time Warner Cable and it makes me sad.
I had Dish Network a few years ago. The satalite digital picture kicked the crap out of the cable picture quality and cost less to boot!
Due to my location and the location of my neighbors trees, I had to give it up. I cried.
We signed up for digital cable (which had become available in the 4 years I was on satalite) which was comparable to the satalite digital. The cost was about the same as I was paying for satalite. Due, no doubt, to the competition.
When we moved, I did a lot of research and I could not work out a satalite plan that cost less than cable for similar service (including access from 3 rooms and local stations). The satalite killer is the per box charge and the extra charge for locals. I could stomach the cost for local stations (they have to pay them), but I cannot understand $4 per box past one. What is the cost to them for my additional boxes? All they ended up doing was pricing them out of my house!
I would love to give the finger to Time Warner, but I'm not going to pay extra to do it.
BTW, For the same cost as Dish was going to charge me (without PVR -additional fee-) I was able to get the Time Warner Digital Cable AND DVR box. The Box is SLOW, but the service is SWEET! Better than my friends Dish PVR boxes.
So the bottom line is: Thanks Dish, I loved you when I had you! And thanks again for forcing my local cable company to price competitavely. Lower your prices and I'll switch over a weekend.
=Shreak
Who cares if they stop 2D animation? If there is a demand for it someone will produce it. If not Disney, the someone else. If it turns out 2D becomes a phenom, I'm sure Disney will jump back in to the cash pool.
=Shreak