If we picked our government at random from the citizens things wouldn't be as fucked up as they are today. Agreed to a point. There are something things that wouldn't be good though. I don't want Joe, never graduated from high school and still works as a Cashier at McDonald's at age 35, to be one of those people. There should be at least some reasonable standards for who would get chosen.
Only because some citizens do everything possible to not get on a jury. There is a way around this that I think is reasonable (although I'm sure there are many that will disagree with me). You make it mandatory that a business pays the person who's on the jury his/her full wage for the duration. You could still allow some special provisions for really long trials (more than a week). Considering how rarely people get called (about 5 times during your adult life) it's not all the inconvenient and if everyone has to do it then it's not much of an extra burden to let an employee take time out to do their civic duty.
The tax money that I was referring to WASN'T sales tax. It was income tax.
You should know that sales tax is typically only charged against GOODS not services. I know there are a handful of states that do charge you for certain services but they aren't common.
You're supposed to report it to the IRS but if you don't actually make money (or reasonably would have) then they couldn't really get tax money out of you anyways. For example, if you trade your computer repairs for Joe's plumbing service and they are both about the same value (assuming just labor and no parts) then I don't see how anyone makes any money on it.
This isn't to say that the IRS wouldn't try to get taxes from you but most bartering stuff is done under the table and unless you're doing massive amounts the IRS will never know.
They want to have all the benefits (decreasing piracy) with none of risk (lawsuits)...
*Knock* *Knock* Hello??? Yes, this is reality calling!
In the real world, there are no rewards/benefits without risk. Everything has risks, if you're not willing to take them then STOP YOUR BITCHING RIAA et al!
Parental responsibility is severely lacking in this country. Everyone wants to put the blame on the latest "X" while failing to look in the mirror to see that the problem is in their own home.
Ron Paul wants to dismantle the federal government, hand power to the states, and turn the US into something more closely resembling the EU. You do realize that the EU is currently very similar to the way the US was in it's infancy, right?
Also, do you realize the EU is strong and getting stronger while the US is weak and getting weaker?
Lastly, while the EU does seem to be a positive force right now, I'm worried about the direction it's heading as it's leaders are appointed and not elected like they've always been in the US. I think overtime this could be their undoing.
Another possibility, as others have suggested, this could be another government other than the US doing this. Israel is one of many that have been suggested.
I hope it is all just a coincidence. I'm not one for conspiracy theories as I find most of them lacking in evidence. But if we see a few more cable cuts or major hostile actions in the area then I think there is a good chance we are seeing spy agencies at work here.
I suspect that Comcast's real problem is that there are far more than five percent of their user base that want to pull down forty or fifty gigabytes a month What's funny is that 40-50 gigs per month is not that much based on pricing that I've seen. That's probably only costs them about $2-3* above and beyond the normal cost of providing service (cost of the cable, cable plant, equipment, customer service etc.) which is probably about $15*. Considering they charge $50-60 per month for their normal service I'd say they can easily make a killing even on higher bandwidth customers.
So what if someone uses another 50 or 100 gigs per month. As long as they aren't saturating the node causing lots of problems for other people it shouldn't even be an issue.
*Numbers are approximations based on numbers I've seen reported by people who see the costs of providing service.
So far I've had pretty good luck using Bittorrent with them and I rarely hit their limits (even though they are lower than they should be IMHO).
Here is a link to their AUP: http://cableone.net/internet/cmaup.asp
If you scroll down about 3/4 of the way down the page you'll see a link to their download and upload limits (threshold limits) based on the service you have with them.
Any car that can't be refueled both quickly and at common locations, is not likely to perform very well (in the market place) IMHO. I've got to disagree there. While I certainly think that gas(unleaded, diesel, ethanol)/electric hybrid will be the most popular choice for single people. I think that in multi-car families there will likely be only one car that is a hybrid and the others will be all electric (they will be cheaper). It's estimated that 85-95% of all driving is done within 30 miles of your home. This means that all electric cars become reasonable at 100 Miles per recharge. Ideally I would like to see ones that can get around 200+ Miles per recharge but we probably won't see those be mainstream and affordable for 5-10 years.
You're right that you can't count on Hotel or Apartments to offer this now. But you should start seeing it offered as a perk in some higher-end places first in the next few years. Then probably in 5+ years you'll see almost everyone offering/installing it as the demand enters the mainstream.
We could have had the Maglev Train (several), National FTTH and poured money into researching real alternative energy policy (including paying for the American automakers to design and deploy all electric and hybrid cars by this year). Just shows how we've wasted our money...
You should go build one if you can. California is having a lot of power production problems. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms That's because of NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) issues. They could have avoided the power blackouts of a few years ago if they had gotten over their NIMBY issues.
Seriously though, are any of the countries that call centers and programming are commonly outsourced to being affected? And how much? Yes, it has directly affected India (call center capital). They are reporting 60% loss in capacity.
Our India office is using a backup line as a result. I'm sure many other company's are having to do the same.
They certainly do vote differently on some key issues but they are BOTH beholden to corporate interests and not to the public, from whom they derive their power.
A pig with lipstick is still a pig. It just looks prettier than the other ones.
We are in need of some serious reform (no lobbyists, no corporate personhood etc.). If you reduce the corporate interests down to about 90% of power they have over "our representatives" now then you will get a system that actually cares about the people rather than selling out to the highest bidder...er, I mean...lobbyist.
As you said it is unpopular to think that we would have to allow people to match the power of the government in firepower. However, I do see that as necessary to protect us if things go the way they did for our fore fathers.
The only limit that seems reasonable to me is a limit on indiscriminate killing devices. A more eloquent poster on Slashdot proposed a great idea that has stuck with me (unfortunately I don't have a link to it). The limit should be that you can't own a weapon individually that would kill largely indiscriminately. This means that you could have everything from an Assault rifle all the way up to an F-15 (assuming you could afford one) and that would be ok. But you couldn't have something like a Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical Weapon. I doubt you would have anyone arguing that they need these weapons unless they are a nation and use it as a deterrent (as the whole world does with Nuclear, to date).
Also, I do think that militias should be allowed to be formed under the ideals stated above instead of snuffed out by the ATF. I would definitely be happy to see our military be more of a structure that is "ready to train quickly in cases of national defense" instead of the huge bloated world police that it has become today.
There might be a middle ground between the two possible cases I've outlined above that could still be reasonable but we definitely need to stand up for our rights to own firearms in case the worse comes to worse.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm sure it's legal tricks. Most of the big drug companies love doing that sort of thing...
Until the patent runs out and then it will be $5-10 per month...
The tax money that I was referring to WASN'T sales tax. It was income tax.
You should know that sales tax is typically only charged against GOODS not services. I know there are a handful of states that do charge you for certain services but they aren't common.
Services was all I was talking about in my post.
You're supposed to report it to the IRS but if you don't actually make money (or reasonably would have) then they couldn't really get tax money out of you anyways. For example, if you trade your computer repairs for Joe's plumbing service and they are both about the same value (assuming just labor and no parts) then I don't see how anyone makes any money on it.
This isn't to say that the IRS wouldn't try to get taxes from you but most bartering stuff is done under the table and unless you're doing massive amounts the IRS will never know.
So let me see if I've got this straight...
They want to have all the benefits (decreasing piracy) with none of risk (lawsuits)...
*Knock* *Knock*
Hello???
Yes, this is reality calling!
In the real world, there are no rewards/benefits without risk. Everything has risks, if you're not willing to take them then STOP YOUR BITCHING RIAA et al!
Where's my +10 mod button???
This is exactly what's going on.
Thank you.
Here here.
Parental responsibility is severely lacking in this country. Everyone wants to put the blame on the latest "X" while failing to look in the mirror to see that the problem is in their own home.
Also, do you realize the EU is strong and getting stronger while the US is weak and getting weaker?
Lastly, while the EU does seem to be a positive force right now, I'm worried about the direction it's heading as it's leaders are appointed and not elected like they've always been in the US. I think overtime this could be their undoing.
I hadn't heard those before. Thanks for the link.
Also, thanks for all the insightful comments on this discussion and many others. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts.
shhhhh!!!!
DON'T GIVE THE TSA ANY IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next we'll have to board the plane naked and our baggage will be sent to our destination via UPS ground and arrive a week after we do...
Another possibility, as others have suggested, this could be another government other than the US doing this. Israel is one of many that have been suggested.
I hope it is all just a coincidence. I'm not one for conspiracy theories as I find most of them lacking in evidence. But if we see a few more cable cuts or major hostile actions in the area then I think there is a good chance we are seeing spy agencies at work here.
So what if someone uses another 50 or 100 gigs per month. As long as they aren't saturating the node causing lots of problems for other people it shouldn't even be an issue.
*Numbers are approximations based on numbers I've seen reported by people who see the costs of providing service.
I have CableOne as well.
So far I've had pretty good luck using Bittorrent with them and I rarely hit their limits (even though they are lower than they should be IMHO).
Here is a link to their AUP: http://cableone.net/internet/cmaup.asp
If you scroll down about 3/4 of the way down the page you'll see a link to their download and upload limits (threshold limits) based on the service you have with them.
You're right that you can't count on Hotel or Apartments to offer this now. But you should start seeing it offered as a perk in some higher-end places first in the next few years. Then probably in 5+ years you'll see almost everyone offering/installing it as the demand enters the mainstream.
We could have had the Maglev Train (several), National FTTH and poured money into researching real alternative energy policy (including paying for the American automakers to design and deploy all electric and hybrid cars by this year). Just shows how we've wasted our money...
Why is this rated as a "Troll".
For the clueless mods "Troll" != I disagree
On the other hand it could be that Taco gave the CIA some mod points... *Puts on tinfoil hat*
Granted, my company is a really big and the Internet is a vital component...
Our India office is using a backup line as a result. I'm sure many other company's are having to do the same.
Agreed. That is what needs to happen.
Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter... seriously.
They certainly do vote differently on some key issues but they are BOTH beholden to corporate interests and not to the public, from whom they derive their power.
A pig with lipstick is still a pig. It just looks prettier than the other ones.
We are in need of some serious reform (no lobbyists, no corporate personhood etc.). If you reduce the corporate interests down to about 90% of power they have over "our representatives" now then you will get a system that actually cares about the people rather than selling out to the highest bidder...er, I mean...lobbyist.
As you said it is unpopular to think that we would have to allow people to match the power of the government in firepower. However, I do see that as necessary to protect us if things go the way they did for our fore fathers.
The only limit that seems reasonable to me is a limit on indiscriminate killing devices. A more eloquent poster on Slashdot proposed a great idea that has stuck with me (unfortunately I don't have a link to it). The limit should be that you can't own a weapon individually that would kill largely indiscriminately. This means that you could have everything from an Assault rifle all the way up to an F-15 (assuming you could afford one) and that would be ok. But you couldn't have something like a Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical Weapon. I doubt you would have anyone arguing that they need these weapons unless they are a nation and use it as a deterrent (as the whole world does with Nuclear, to date).
Also, I do think that militias should be allowed to be formed under the ideals stated above instead of snuffed out by the ATF. I would definitely be happy to see our military be more of a structure that is "ready to train quickly in cases of national defense" instead of the huge bloated world police that it has become today.
There might be a middle ground between the two possible cases I've outlined above that could still be reasonable but we definitely need to stand up for our rights to own firearms in case the worse comes to worse.