Radios and TVs don't put out static anymore, they all mute when tuned to a vacant spot on the dial.
Also, with all-digital tuners, no one hears the sweeping whistle of a heterodyne radio being tuned anymore. I remember that sound fondly as I tuned in distant shortwave stations on a tube Hammarlund receiver. Not that there's anything worth listening to on the shortwave bands anymore, either.
A few months ago I left work to run some errands and stuck my Android phone in its car charging dock (which automatically activated my preferred nav program). Six or seven miles down the road I noticed the icon representing my car was different than normal and my location was about a half-block off my actual position. At the next stoplight I checked and discovered my GPS was turned off. My phone had reasonably calculated my position through several turns and stops using only the accelerometer (dead-reckoning). At the time I was impressed.
I did this a few years ago when I had a similar problem with a collection agency that was looking for a former renter. I changed my answering machine message to the intercept tone sequence, followed by a scratchy message that sounded similar to the telco's automated message:
"We're sorry, your call cannot be answered at this time. Please check the number or contact the operator... (3 second delay) Or if you're a friend just leave a message at the beep." *BEEP*
My friends thought it was hilarious and the collectors usually hung up long before the part about leaving a message kicked in. It took a couple of months, but the calls finally stopped.
Now a friend of mine who was being harassed took a different track. He would answer the phone and listen politely to find out who they were looking for. Then he would start yelling at the collector, claiming he was owed a large sum of money from the same person. He would accuse them of being a friend of the debtor, demand they reveal where he was and threaten to sue them to get his money back. The calls stopped soon afterwards.
They're all for "free market" economics until it actually impacts them personally. Then suddenly they want government intervention and special treatment.
Eliminating an identifiable first name prevents random creeps stalking the female employees. (Yes, it can be a problem, both internally and externally.)
Our company eliminated first names and went with first initial, middle initial, last name with no separator: John C. Doe becomes jcdoe@domain.com. For duplicates, the longest-term employee is assigned jcdoe, the next is jcdoe1... etc. Over 10,000 employees and only 7 conflicts that I know of and 3 of them are rcsmith. One is R.C. senior, one is R.C. junior and one is an unrelated woman.
The online company directory uses this policy as well: J. C. Doe - Director of purchasing, J.C. Doe 1 - Legal aide.
But I'm disappointed they wouldn't implement my suggestion: to make all robo-calls add an option to their menu.
Here's how it would work:
"This is Rachel from Cardholder Services. There is no problem with your account. Please press "1" to protect your account, Press "2" to hear about our other exciting offers, Press "9" to have 10,000 volts applied to the owner of this company's genitals."
I suppose they were right to reject my suggestion, though. The country couldn't afford to repeatedly replace all the "9" buttons on everyone's phones./only half-joking
A Pentel 0.3mm mechanical pencil with an HB lead is my personal favorite writing instrument. For pens, I buy either a Pentel Energel 0.5mm or a Pilot V5 series.
I bought a box of Japanese-made 0.3mm gel ink pens about 10 years back at an office supply store that was closing down but can't remember the brand name to save my life. When they ran out I never could find them again. They were some of the best I've ever used, but if you dropped one (even capped) you might as well throw it away. The tips (I think they were ceramic) were that fragile. Beautiful lines, though.
Before the analog to digital conversion, I had 5 TV sets in the house. But I couldn't afford/justify the expense of replacing them all so I only bought 2 digital sets.
Now, over a year later, I don't miss the other 3 and have no plans to replace them.
Where did you get the idea that they never lose a cent?
I have a friend in the banking industry and she once told me that if the public knew how much money the banks lost ervery day due to electronic fraud, we'd all be hiding our money under our matresses and the whole industry would collapse. Billions slip away every day world-wide, usually as small, difficult to verify transactions of under $100. The banks just consider it part of the cost of doing business and pass the added expense along to the consumer.
If I have the urge to look back, I dig out the first computer I bought back in '77, an Infinite UC1800 made in Cape Canaveral, Fl. Hardly anyone has ever heard of it, let alone seen one.
I was a poor student at the time and couldn't afford the assembled version or even a case. For my money I received bare, unpopulated boards, some hardware, a few of the harder to find chips and a schematic. I scrounged the rest of the needed parts (including the processor, an RCA CDP1800), soldered it together, debugged my mistakes and screwed the bare boards down to a piece of plywood where it still sits today. Still works, too.
I used to get a lot of 'site not found' errors until I stopped using Mediacom's DNS servers entirely. This was for sites that I KNEW existed and were up and running.
Once I switched to Google's DNS servers the problems disappeared.
/ Yes, I know DNS server is redundant. Sometimes clarity is more important than pedantic accuracy. Sue me.
Slashdot Mirror
Radios and TVs don't put out static anymore, they all mute when tuned to a vacant spot on the dial.
Also, with all-digital tuners, no one hears the sweeping whistle of a heterodyne radio being tuned anymore. I remember that sound fondly as I tuned in distant shortwave stations on a tube Hammarlund receiver. Not that there's anything worth listening to on the shortwave bands anymore, either.
A few months ago I left work to run some errands and stuck my Android phone in its car charging dock (which automatically activated my preferred nav program). Six or seven miles down the road I noticed the icon representing my car was different than normal and my location was about a half-block off my actual position. At the next stoplight I checked and discovered my GPS was turned off. My phone had reasonably calculated my position through several turns and stops using only the accelerometer (dead-reckoning). At the time I was impressed.
I hope so, then the FAA can shut it down.
I did this a few years ago when I had a similar problem with a collection agency that was looking for a former renter. I changed my answering machine message to the intercept tone sequence, followed by a scratchy message that sounded similar to the telco's automated message:
"We're sorry, your call cannot be answered at this time. Please check the number or contact the operator... (3 second delay) Or if you're a friend just leave a message at the beep." *BEEP*
My friends thought it was hilarious and the collectors usually hung up long before the part about leaving a message kicked in. It took a couple of months, but the calls finally stopped.
Now a friend of mine who was being harassed took a different track. He would answer the phone and listen politely to find out who they were looking for. Then he would start yelling at the collector, claiming he was owed a large sum of money from the same person. He would accuse them of being a friend of the debtor, demand they reveal where he was and threaten to sue them to get his money back. The calls stopped soon afterwards.
Your mileage may vary, etc. etc.
Hamburger filler, corn starch, mono-sodium glutimate, red dye # 7,...
Just read the label, dude.
No, that's WWV on those frequencies.
Perhaps the older drugs were manufactured for maximum effectiveness and the newer ones for maximum profit.
If a smartphone is all it takes to emasculate you, well... let's just say it was hardly worth the effort.
They're all for "free market" economics until it actually impacts them personally. Then suddenly they want government intervention and special treatment.
What a hypocrite.
Eliminating an identifiable first name prevents random creeps stalking the female employees. (Yes, it can be a problem, both internally and externally.)
Our company eliminated first names and went with first initial, middle initial, last name with no separator: John C. Doe becomes jcdoe@domain.com.
For duplicates, the longest-term employee is assigned jcdoe, the next is jcdoe1... etc. Over 10,000 employees and only 7 conflicts that I know of and 3 of them are rcsmith. One is R.C. senior, one is R.C. junior and one is an unrelated woman.
The online company directory uses this policy as well: J. C. Doe - Director of purchasing, J.C. Doe 1 - Legal aide.
I would like to see ME at CES.
Ain't gonna happen.
But I'm disappointed they wouldn't implement my suggestion: to make all robo-calls add an option to their menu.
Here's how it would work:
"This is Rachel from Cardholder Services. There is no problem with your account.
Please press "1" to protect your account,
Press "2" to hear about our other exciting offers,
Press "9" to have 10,000 volts applied to the owner of this company's genitals."
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 ...
I suppose they were right to reject my suggestion, though. The country couldn't afford to repeatedly replace all the "9" buttons on everyone's phones. /only half-joking
A Pentel 0.3mm mechanical pencil with an HB lead is my personal favorite writing instrument.
For pens, I buy either a Pentel Energel 0.5mm or a Pilot V5 series.
I bought a box of Japanese-made 0.3mm gel ink pens about 10 years back at an office supply store that was closing down but can't remember the brand name to save my life. When they ran out I never could find them again. They were some of the best I've ever used, but if you dropped one (even capped) you might as well throw it away. The tips (I think they were ceramic) were that fragile. Beautiful lines, though.
"the GPS-enabled bars looked just like normal chocolate bars"
So, broken in 3 or more pieces and melted on one end?
has always been a schooner. But it's been years since I've seen a bar that has one. (I have 3 at home; 2 glass, 1 wood.)
Second favorite container is the liter mug, followed by the half-liter.
After that I really don't care. I'll drink out of a jelly jar if that's all you've got.
But never plastic. Lord no, never plastic.
Rich people lie.
I hear rumors that water is wet, as well.
It's just pinin' for the Fords...
/ sorry. I'll go stand in the corner now.
Basically his stance is, "I'm sorry I was a d!ck to someone important. I thought he was just another nobody I could abuse at will."
Before the analog to digital conversion, I had 5 TV sets in the house. But I couldn't afford/justify the expense of replacing them all so I only bought 2 digital sets.
Now, over a year later, I don't miss the other 3 and have no plans to replace them.
Where did you get the idea that they never lose a cent?
I have a friend in the banking industry and she once told me that if the public knew how much money the banks lost ervery day due to electronic fraud, we'd all be hiding our money under our matresses and the whole industry would collapse. Billions slip away every day world-wide, usually as small, difficult to verify transactions of under $100. The banks just consider it part of the cost of doing business and pass the added expense along to the consumer.
Starting a new party doesn't necessarily solve problem #1. You just end up with one more party that sucks.
Relevant?
http://www.gocomics.com/2cowsandachicken/2011/06/24
If I have the urge to look back, I dig out the first computer I bought back in '77, an Infinite UC1800 made in Cape Canaveral, Fl. Hardly anyone has ever heard of it, let alone seen one.
I was a poor student at the time and couldn't afford the assembled version or even a case. For my money I received bare, unpopulated boards, some hardware, a few of the harder to find chips and a schematic. I scrounged the rest of the needed parts (including the processor, an RCA CDP1800), soldered it together, debugged my mistakes and screwed the bare boards down to a piece of plywood where it still sits today. Still works, too.
I used to get a lot of 'site not found' errors until I stopped using Mediacom's DNS servers entirely. This was for sites that I KNEW existed and were up and running.
Once I switched to Google's DNS servers the problems disappeared.
/ Yes, I know DNS server is redundant. Sometimes clarity is more important than pedantic accuracy. Sue me.
Oh, give them a break.
The FBI is just doing its job: ensuring that government of the money, by the money and for the money, shall not perish from this earth.