Interesting. If Scalia defects, then he'll take his protege Thomas with him, leaving Microsoft with only two (at most four) friendly justices. Of course, this all hinges on whether the SC will even see the case.
Very true. I hadn't considered that angle. If Bush does get to annoint a Justice, that person is going to be at least as conservative if not moreso than Scalia. With Daschle as Senate Leader, though, I'm not sure how easy it would be for him.
As far as the "Invalid form key" error, nope. I haven't seen it. I do see the "Slow down cowboy" error a lot. You know, sometimes 20 seconds is more time than necessary to rebut someone.
I hope you're not arguing for crack legalization, though with your crappy argument I wouldn't doubt it.
The thing is, although the person you're responding to is using a lame argument, the case for legalization of drugs is fairly solid. Of course, the case against the legalization of drugs is also very deeply entrenched in the fabric of American society.
The main problem with the legalization of drugs is that the government of Colombia is under seige by drug lords. Any tacit bow to these drug lords would signal the end of the Colombian government as we know it. It is not in America's best interest to destroy the tattered, democratic government of Colombia just to satisfy internal pressures.
It's really a shame, because once you take away the ability of drug cartels to make money in the long term, you take away their incentive to continue producing drugs. Also, the social blight that's produced by drug abusers would lessen as they wouldn't be scrounging for every last penny they've got to get their next hit. Margins and prices would drop. Quality would go up. And more than anything, drug-related crime would drop significantly.
Sure, but don't you understand that even if the Court finds them a monopoly, the Justices are unlikely to force the kind of massive restructuring that Payne dished out on Microsoft. More likely, they will be given a slap on the wrist, and told to go and sin no more. Unless Scalia, Thomas, or Rehnquist keels over in the next year or so, Microsoft will get off scott-free.
Too bad Congress borked Bork, they'd have an airtight decision against Microsoft. As it is, MS has got some pretty heavy sway with the pro-capitalism (not necessarily pro-competition) majority of the Supreme Court.
I really hate those watermarks that appear on TV in the corners. I don't need them to tell me what station I'm watching. I don't need to know what time it is. I already know what show I'm watching. If I wanted news bulletins, I'd watch the news. I'm trying not to think about my stock portfolio. I don't care "What's up next!".
I just want to watch my television show without interruption.
But I guess that's the price I have to pay because I'm not paying for my reception.
We could implement a secure user identity system precisely like telephone Caller ID. It would be essentially an Internet ID. All Internet transactions could be based on it. Anyone who sends me e-mail can be identified. Anything I send can be traced to me. People wouldn't be forced to participate, but if they remain anonymous, I might choose to block them. I certainly wouldn't accept file attachments from them.
You can already do this. You can trace email. You can block email from those you don't know. And this system won't work to block email worms because usually they come from people who you know.
Then are you saying that IT shops are pushing Congress to expand the workforce with foreign workers not because of some dastardly plot to lower wages of American workers but because they have artificially limited the employment pool to younger, "more easily trained" workers? Or do you think it's a combination of both?
I put "more easily trained" in quotes because I don't want to blithely make the assumption that older workers are harder to train.
As much as the conspiracy theorists have been harping on the issue, they haven't been correct until just recently. IT professionals have for quite a while been able to quit their job and pick up a new one in the blink of an eye. There just weren't enough people to fill all the positions that were available.
Now, however, the economy has gone into a recession and thousands of IT professionals have been "freed" into the job market. The high demand for workers that we heard a couple years back is clearly not there anymore.
Could it be that it wasn't a nefarious plot to screw American workers?
Slashdot Mirror
Now I can resume downloading pr0n at work unhindered!
That was the point, wasn't it?
Dancin Santa
Don't blame the dot.com implosion on these stupid chairs. Chairs are hardly what make or break stupid business plans.
Dancin Santa
Interesting. If Scalia defects, then he'll take his protege Thomas with him, leaving Microsoft with only two (at most four) friendly justices. Of course, this all hinges on whether the SC will even see the case.
Dancin Santa
Very true. I hadn't considered that angle. If Bush does get to annoint a Justice, that person is going to be at least as conservative if not moreso than Scalia. With Daschle as Senate Leader, though, I'm not sure how easy it would be for him.
As far as the "Invalid form key" error, nope. I haven't seen it. I do see the "Slow down cowboy" error a lot. You know, sometimes 20 seconds is more time than necessary to rebut someone.
Dancin Santa
I hope you're not arguing for crack legalization, though with your crappy argument I wouldn't doubt it.
The thing is, although the person you're responding to is using a lame argument, the case for legalization of drugs is fairly solid. Of course, the case against the legalization of drugs is also very deeply entrenched in the fabric of American society.
The main problem with the legalization of drugs is that the government of Colombia is under seige by drug lords. Any tacit bow to these drug lords would signal the end of the Colombian government as we know it. It is not in America's best interest to destroy the tattered, democratic government of Colombia just to satisfy internal pressures.
It's really a shame, because once you take away the ability of drug cartels to make money in the long term, you take away their incentive to continue producing drugs. Also, the social blight that's produced by drug abusers would lessen as they wouldn't be scrounging for every last penny they've got to get their next hit. Margins and prices would drop. Quality would go up. And more than anything, drug-related crime would drop significantly.
Dancin Santa
Sure, but don't you understand that even if the Court finds them a monopoly, the Justices are unlikely to force the kind of massive restructuring that Payne dished out on Microsoft. More likely, they will be given a slap on the wrist, and told to go and sin no more. Unless Scalia, Thomas, or Rehnquist keels over in the next year or so, Microsoft will get off scott-free.
Dancin Santa
Too bad Congress borked Bork, they'd have an airtight decision against Microsoft. As it is, MS has got some pretty heavy sway with the pro-capitalism (not necessarily pro-competition) majority of the Supreme Court.
Dancin Santa
I really hate those watermarks that appear on TV in the corners. I don't need them to tell me what station I'm watching. I don't need to know what time it is. I already know what show I'm watching. If I wanted news bulletins, I'd watch the news. I'm trying not to think about my stock portfolio. I don't care "What's up next!".
I just want to watch my television show without interruption.
But I guess that's the price I have to pay because I'm not paying for my reception.
Dancin Santa
Pigs in Space... Man, that brought some repressed memories.
Dancin Santa
Episode III: Rise of the Empire
That one actually doesn't sound too bad.
Dancin Santa
Star Wars Episode II: The World's Most Dangerous Clone Battles
We are all going to plunk down the money to go and see it. We even know that Jar Jar will be in it, for chrissakes!
Dancin Santa
I was hoping for "Jar Jar's fiery death" or something similar. "Attack of the Clones" only makes me fear the creation of an entire army of Jar Jars.
Dancin Santa
I don't think the Terraserver was able to return 3d surveys, though.
Dancin Santa
I can see my house from here!
No, not really. But I can see the reindeer pen.
Dancin Santa
We could implement a secure user identity system precisely like telephone Caller ID. It would be essentially an Internet ID. All Internet transactions could be based on it. Anyone who sends me e-mail can be identified. Anything I send can be traced to me. People wouldn't be forced to participate, but if they remain anonymous, I might choose to block them. I certainly wouldn't accept file attachments from them.
You can already do this. You can trace email. You can block email from those you don't know. And this system won't work to block email worms because usually they come from people who you know.
Get with it, man!
Dancin Santa
I'm of the opinion that should just be left alone.
Dancin Santa
4 lines down and 20 characters across. It's not running anyone's GUI.
Dancin Santa
It's obviously running Linux as a process on top of embedded DOS. ;-)
Dancin Santa
To use it as a "tricorder-like" device. Based on its size, it obviously wasn't designed to be easily carried.
Dancin Santa
I'm assuming x86, but the site (which sucks, btw) doesn't make it clear.
Also, how "stripped down" is the OS?
Dancin Santa
That was absolutely beautiful, man. If we ever meet, drinks are on me.
Dancin Santa
Then are you saying that IT shops are pushing Congress to expand the workforce with foreign workers not because of some dastardly plot to lower wages of American workers but because they have artificially limited the employment pool to younger, "more easily trained" workers? Or do you think it's a combination of both?
I put "more easily trained" in quotes because I don't want to blithely make the assumption that older workers are harder to train.
Dancin Santa
As much as the conspiracy theorists have been harping on the issue, they haven't been correct until just recently. IT professionals have for quite a while been able to quit their job and pick up a new one in the blink of an eye. There just weren't enough people to fill all the positions that were available.
Now, however, the economy has gone into a recession and thousands of IT professionals have been "freed" into the job market. The high demand for workers that we heard a couple years back is clearly not there anymore.
Could it be that it wasn't a nefarious plot to screw American workers?
Dancin Santa
2 Centigrade? Who the hell drinks Guiness at that ungodly temperature?
For chrissakes, a stout needs to be served at room temperature goddammit!
Dancin Santa