Re:It is bad, wrong way to go about it
on
Health Care Reform
·
· Score: 1
Never trust the figures of a salesman to be fact. Remember that ALL of congress and the President are selling this to us. Also remember that raw numbers don't lie, but statistics can.
Agreed. And it has always been this way. Covert or overt, you will never find a halt in the identification and eradication of threats to the republic. I am very certain that from time to time there is collateral damage and errors of other sorts. I believe the key here is to do your best effort to not be affiliated with known terrorists, especially in a war zone. The government will only go so far before writing your life off as an enemy kill.
Our goals as a country are idealistic. Our achievements towards them are subject to human error and corruption.
I haven't checked prices, but a long-term PC with a 5 year survival as a non-gaming platform would be:
Expensive mainboard (Asus M4A79-T Deluxe comes to mind) - longevity and huge feature set AMD phenom2 X2 550 processor (2 cores @3.1 or 3.2 Ghz crazy OC able) ATI 4650 video card (just enough oomph to play HD videos, and even many games) 4 GB DDR3-1333 (2 GB per stick, so can be 8 GB in 2 years when needed) Antec 300 case Antec/OCZ, etc 700 W Power supply Seagate 7200.12 2TB Hard Disk
This is the core build of a PC that could be upgraded to a solid gaming rig with a simple CPU and video card swap. You could absolutely shave off about $150, if you didn't mind losing upgradability, performance, and reliability.
Of course this is just one version of how to build these. The focus is on a 75 dollar CPU and 55 dollar video card. Both are upgradable. The case, power supply, and mainboard are the key pieces to research in terms of having a PC that can be used 5+ years without bogging down to a crawl or requiring major parts replacement. Intel has changed platforms more often than AMD, and I prefer to not have to buy a new motherboard and power supply to do upgrades within 5 years.
While I somewhat disagree with your position, I found your extrapolation hilarious. This is exactly the type of negative humor that I like to come up with. I always mean it as an over-the-top way of observing and pointing out an error someone made. I sure hope the object of your writing took this as hilarious poking, and not a sincere attack, even if you mean every word. That is comedy gold right there......
>It may not be eugenics per se, but it's still wrong. You look at children at developing countries as mere resource wasters.
Actually, I'll go ahead and say the entire Middle East is a huge resource waster. The world would be better off without Muslims who breed at the rate of insects. I think even someone like you would agree with me on this point, though perhaps for different reasons.
I don't understand what religion has to do with any of that. That being said, the populations of areas that have infertile land like deserts, for example, would do well to move or limit their family size. Given the correct perspective, arctic and desert dwellers both would be resource drains, if they attempted to live beyond a pretty meager existence, I believe. Pregnancy prevention is a useful tool to prevent -any- society from overusing resources. mid and late abortions are more convenience-driven, and do not contribute usefully, in my opinion.
This is a pretty inclusive and reasonable point of view. In the interest of societal benefit, I will concede that killing before the first trimester is ended seems reasonable as a solution that gives a level of resolution to both sides of the debate.
......Except late second trimester has a survival probability, thanks to modern advances.
I do not understand why anyone needs more that a month or 2 , tops, to decide something like this. You find out, and that is up to 1 month passed. You give it thought. A few days later, if you haven't decided, you might wanna go on and abort. IIRC, a pregnancy term is actually 10 total months, 40 weeks, from conception. It is actually 0 to 4 months total for first trimester, I believe. This would give more time to consider.
While this is an emotionally, religiously, and politically charged subject, it all ends up the same. The mother either wants and can try to support the potential child, or she can't meet the criteria. I submit that if the mother doesn't want the child after 4 months in, she's stuck with her decision. Many people pay for their decisions all the time. My opinion is that only in the U.S. do we consider not making people responsible for their actions and decisions as a good thing. Lack of consequences is fairly rewarding careless and reckless actions. This is possibly just a perception based on my limited knowledge of other countries. I'd like to see this aspect of our nation change.
Because he/she obviously isn't so brilliant as to pointlessly and weakly attack someone the way you do. Even your flamebait use of racist characterization fails as an attack. Instead of attacking people who clearly out-think you, try learning from them.
Being so assertive, yet posting anon would indicate that you don't actually want to stand up for your statements. I can see why. Your position, if followed to conclusion, would include any child not yet born. The difficulty in this assertion (albeit, asserted via slippery slope argument) is that many babies are -removed- from the mother surgically, and are allowed to live. Many other babies are brutally killed with medical instruments or toxins also. Killed is exactly what is done, lest there be a potential for a viable, breathing, baby to be removed surgically, -then- killed.
I won't post anonymously, because I don't mind people knowing that mid and late term abortion is unequivocal murder. If the "mother" is fine with a 3+ month old "fetus" being murdered, and the law backs her up, then I will chalk it up to intentional Darwinism. If the "mother" or the system in place tries to redefine the murder as equivalent to a cyst removal, I take issue with that.
People kill people. I'm ok with that. Let's not rename it to "people assist population reduction", okay?
I apologize for not being totally specific to her case. Specific to her case, a condom would be a better choice. That or other surgical process. I am not an expert on best known practices for that, although a full hysterectomy would work, abiding the hormonal changes being corrected.
"Why's it so important that she survives? She is already past her expected lifetime for a woman with childbirth complications."
Self preservation instinct trumps logic. She could have saved us all the trouble of discussing this by not allowing her ( going by her makeup/hair choices) trashy boyfriends ride her bareback. I have great disdain for people who's entire contribution to this world is showing how absolutely worthless they are. While she was getting her pill, and all these tests, perhaps she should have gotten HIV/Chlamydia/Hepatitis/Ghonorrhea testing also. Please note, additionally, that much like how C-sections are somehow "medically necessary", people do lie about their situations to avoid the inconvenience attached to paying for being irresponsible. Some women put a nice tight snatcheroo over risks to their unborn child, and others claim fake medical conditions to facilitate easy fixes to their mistakes.
Women have been beating the odds of dying during childbirth for centuries. Knowingly or not, many women have avoided dying from these "potential risks" since humans first walked the earth. Yes, that last bit is an assumption based on the likelihood that risks to the mother aren't a recent invention. IUDs are the least effective of the medically proven methods of birth control. Condom + IUD is pretty damned effective at it and helps her not lose her life to stupidity. I assume that she's stupidly promiscuous, because I didn't see or hear her boyfriend/husband's opinion in there. Maybe I just missed that part.
Her explanation of how "easy" an abortion really is does not include emotional or physiological damage that any current abortion tech can cause, once 4 or more weeks have passed.
Sure!.... And time out is universally effective. Take my son, for example. Like his father, he has a very creative and active imagination. Put him in time out in the corner, and all he needs is some pocket lint and any random debris from the carpet, and he's got enough material for 2 hours' entertainment.
Oh, wait, that's a bad example.
How about we give up on being "superior" to our animal species brethren, if a technique is tried and true. A good parent, whether animal or human, frequently takes food from their own mouth (literally/metaphorically), to care for the next generation. More food is given if the offspring assist in the hunt or seem very promising. This is positive reinforcement. As humans, we seem to believe that eliminating all REAL negative reinforcement somehow makes us better, or more "humane", ergo, superior. It doesn't. Lack of true discipline sends our offspring into the world unprepared for possible outcomes of their misdeeds. Sometimes these outcomes have a very final, and fatal, impact.
If you are about to do harm, or lie/steal from another, directly or indirectly, and your get a bit of a tingle down your neck, a sense of foreboding, or panicky feeling, that is probably a sign of good negative reinforcement by your parent(s). If you happily strive for achievement, and the recognition and rewards it offers, that is likely good positive reinforcement. If you push others aside, lie, cheat, steal and (politically) backstab in your struggle for achievement, you are probably a sociopath, and likely destined for Presidency, or a top spot in a company.
All evidence is anecdotal. I am not a doctor, lawyer, or politician. Any opinions expressed here are the author's or an alien being's. All characterizations were created on the spot, and any resemblance to family, friends, or enemies of the reader are strictly intentional. No sheep were harmed in the creation of this post. This time.....
Throttle by wire has been proven to be extremely responsive. More importantly, it is part of a closed-loop operation, whereby the ECU can properly evaluate requested levels versus actual in pretty much everything. If the fuel line is pinched, for example, flooring it would cause devastating detonation, EXCEPT in "by wire". Once the fuel present was mismatched to the air, the ECU would force the throttle to close somewhat, regardless of pedal position. The exception is in many cases of a wide open throttle request, when some output levels like fuel overrich are ignored, and the ECU uses an internal map of what "should be going in and out, given the max power request.
It is exceedingly easy to test the Throttle Positioning Sensor in modern vehicles. In fact, your ECU probably tests idle throttle position every time you turn the key on for a while without staring the engine. The ECU will also log 'implausible signal' for TPS that get an out of range reading, or inconsistent reading throughout the range.
Note: This information was gathered while researching diagnosing my personal car, a B5 Audi S4. It is a summary, not the automotive gospel.
This sounds like people getting paid for being stupid. I do not approve, but who am I, eh?
I think that if you dig deeper there are a lot of free rides being given to Microsoft. The money, except for taxes, is being brought in to -Microsoft-. Washington is probably no taxing them, and may even be subsidizing their property costs. Microsoft employees may live in Washington, or they may also claim residence elsewhere. So, if all the facts are brought ot light, I wonder just how much Washington is really making off of Microsoft. I don't wonder in an active fashion, like actually finding out. Too much to dig up, and sift through. I wonder, aloud, like the old guy on the porch, who has a pretty good guess in mind just how it is working out.
Too big to fail, and to big to pay taxes seems to be pretty popular, even as H1Bs and offshoring dry up any local benefits. Just my opin. YMMV.
Good point. Which brings up the legal sensibility of a related issue: States being able to give giant tax breaks to companies as an incentive to exist there. I can see some underhanded deals making state congressmen richer, while giving out "good buddy" tax breaks to certain companies as incentive to keep lining their pockets. Perhaps i'm oversimplifying it, but I am not comfortable with how these arrangements could be abused. This is a bit off topic from leveraging differences in state regulations, but seems part of the same overall game.
......... And I see THAT as the real problem. Perhaps it is a boon to have a company with Microsoft's massive resources point out the many flaws in the current interstate/international systems. I'm glad this article came out, because I am sure that Microsoft is only a part of the billions in tax dollars we can recoup by fixing this type of "exploit".
The article brings it up, and your post helps get the proper mindset. Good for both!
I see. That was the easy part to address. The hard part is when you and several others become vocal about an issue, instead of rolling over like sheep. Did you miss that part? If you yourself are vocal, you simply will be quietly black balled, and slowy ( or quickly) shown the door via normal means, like something illegal being placed in your locker, or a time clock "malfunction" that gets you fired, but is mysteriously corrected later. It's been quite a few years ago, but part of the reason youwon't hear about these things is that passing of time, and the full grown power of these organizations.
Just trouble your SELF to look up United Way scandals, and some other charities, and some unions. The United Way has been busted in several ways, yet people still donate heavily via.... the workplace. Unions get involved in major scandals, yet there is no replacement of the union with some new form, just a reshuffle of officers.
When workers had no rights given, and were flat abused, several got together en masse, and brought about change. Then came greed. UPS workers, part-timers pay out about 10% of their net earnings to union dues. The union hasn't done anything in over 10 years except lose some of the part timer's benefits to attrition. The base pay has not went up over 10 percent in 15 years. The job requirements have.
I can only speak to what I know, and I am not going to do your searches for you. I'm way too lazy for that.
Just so that you know:
"Scabs" just might be people with the wisdom to see that Appliance Park Ky, would go from over 30,000 factory workers, it's own zip code and post office, miles of parking lot, etc, to a wasted zip code, empty lot, and 3,000 workers, if the union didn't give reason to not send jobs to Mexico, India, and China.
What good are great benefits, if the job moves 4,000 miles away?
Scabs are such idiots. Why would you want to work a lifetime at 18 bucks an hour, and have retirement, when you can work for 28 until the plant closes? I mean, we don't have unemployment problems for over paid low skill workers in the U.S., right?
Just so you know, union dues get collection from Ford and Kroger workers just the same. When people go from 28 to 8 an hour, their union reps won't be feeling quite that pinch.
I do. I recall tainted food at work being thrown out. I recall my dad coming home with his car vandalized, even though the parking lot had extreme security. Try crossing a picket line. THAT is disagreeing with the union. But it does, however agree with feeding your family. You don't cross a picket line. You don't try to raise up votes against what the union LEADERS want. Unions are pretty akin to the working socialism of Russia past, as I recall it. The "elected" make the decisions via suggesting how to vote, as a group. Teamsters et al don't work and lead, they simply leech a small contribution from every member for their magnificent insight and "protection" from those nasty employers.
Unions also allow anyone with seniority to do a great deal less than those around them without consequence. Disagreeing with your union steward on some random talking point won't get your family killed. Gathering steam in a campaign to remove the union, or go against its will might.
For an interesting fact-hunt, look up some articles on unions and their illegal doings.
Is VBR worse then fixed bitrate? I would have to assume so. A question though, is 192kbps VBR better than 128kbps fixed? I can't figure out the best settings to use when encoding my CDs. I want the smallest file that's good enough quality where I wouldn't notice playing on an iPod. Just asking, because you seem to be an expert.
I only use max bitrate, and never variable. Variable attempts to save space versus constant, and therefore runs the risk of eliminating nuances that could be brought out otherwise.
The issue is not loopholes that are able to be removed. The issue is that the only way to ensure that abuse cannot happen is to have nearly zero ability to create anything original. The tradeoff is an inability to have variety. This makes user created content even less desirable than the worst pre-made stuff.
The Mission Architect is the best addition ever made to City of Heroes. The fact that farming is a widely used form for created missions actually stems from CoH/V deciding to include high levels of loot and crafting. Add in an intention extreme scarcity of the most desirable stat modifying drops, and people that are stat-obsessed react by finding ways to acquire those drops with the least time input. People that obsess over stats are drawn to loot, and it's bonuses. Those same people are the ones that will end up farming, or paying a farmer, instead of waiting a full year to acquire or save enough to purchase their "optimal loadout".
Loot begets farming. The farmers have found a way to optimize every aspect of the game for power or profit. Mission Architect is just another area they are leveraging.
At the end of the day, user created content opens a whole new area for player development and expression. The benefit outweighs the risk.
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Never trust the figures of a salesman to be fact. Remember that ALL of congress and the President are selling this to us. Also remember that raw numbers don't lie, but statistics can.
It is a LOT more than that. You are ignorant or deceptive.
Agreed. And it has always been this way. Covert or overt, you will never find a halt in the identification and eradication of threats to the republic. I am very certain that from time to time there is collateral damage and errors of other sorts. I believe the key here is to do your best effort to not be affiliated with known terrorists, especially in a war zone. The government will only go so far before writing your life off as an enemy kill.
Our goals as a country are idealistic. Our achievements towards them are subject to human error and corruption.
There will be a commanding officer that will answer to such queries/charges.
Ok.....
You protect your family and country with phallic jokes and pacifism. I will protect mine with bullets.
I haven't checked prices, but a long-term PC with a 5 year survival as a non-gaming platform would be:
Expensive mainboard (Asus M4A79-T Deluxe comes to mind) - longevity and huge feature set
AMD phenom2 X2 550 processor (2 cores @3.1 or 3.2 Ghz crazy OC able)
ATI 4650 video card (just enough oomph to play HD videos, and even many games)
4 GB DDR3-1333 (2 GB per stick, so can be 8 GB in 2 years when needed)
Antec 300 case
Antec/OCZ, etc 700 W Power supply
Seagate 7200.12 2TB Hard Disk
This is the core build of a PC that could be upgraded to a solid gaming rig with a simple CPU and video card swap. You could absolutely shave off about $150, if you didn't mind losing upgradability, performance, and reliability.
Of course this is just one version of how to build these. The focus is on a 75 dollar CPU and 55 dollar video card. Both are upgradable. The case, power supply, and mainboard are the key pieces to research in terms of having a PC that can be used 5+ years without bogging down to a crawl or requiring major parts replacement. Intel has changed platforms more often than AMD, and I prefer to not have to buy a new motherboard and power supply to do upgrades within 5 years.
While I somewhat disagree with your position, I found your extrapolation hilarious. This is exactly the type of negative humor that I like to come up with. I always mean it as an over-the-top way of observing and pointing out an error someone made. I sure hope the object of your writing took this as hilarious poking, and not a sincere attack, even if you mean every word. That is comedy gold right there......
>It may not be eugenics per se, but it's still wrong. You look at children at developing countries as mere resource wasters.
Actually, I'll go ahead and say the entire Middle East is a huge resource waster. The world would be better off without Muslims who breed at the rate of insects. I think even someone like you would agree with me on this point, though perhaps for different reasons.
I don't understand what religion has to do with any of that. That being said, the populations of areas that have infertile land like deserts, for example, would do well to move or limit their family size. Given the correct perspective, arctic and desert dwellers both would be resource drains, if they attempted to live beyond a pretty meager existence, I believe. Pregnancy prevention is a useful tool to prevent -any- society from overusing resources. mid and late abortions are more convenience-driven, and do not contribute usefully, in my opinion.
This is a pretty inclusive and reasonable point of view. In the interest of societal benefit, I will concede that killing before the first trimester is ended seems reasonable as a solution that gives a level of resolution to both sides of the debate.
......Except late second trimester has a survival probability, thanks to modern advances.
I do not understand why anyone needs more that a month or 2 , tops, to decide something like this. You find out, and that is up to 1 month passed. You give it thought. A few days later, if you haven't decided, you might wanna go on and abort. IIRC, a pregnancy term is actually 10 total months, 40 weeks, from conception. It is actually 0 to 4 months total for first trimester, I believe. This would give more time to consider.
While this is an emotionally, religiously, and politically charged subject, it all ends up the same. The mother either wants and can try to support the potential child, or she can't meet the criteria. I submit that if the mother doesn't want the child after 4 months in, she's stuck with her decision. Many people pay for their decisions all the time. My opinion is that only in the U.S. do we consider not making people responsible for their actions and decisions as a good thing. Lack of consequences is fairly rewarding careless and reckless actions. This is possibly just a perception based on my limited knowledge of other countries. I'd like to see this aspect of our nation change.
Because he/she obviously isn't so brilliant as to pointlessly and weakly attack someone the way you do. Even your flamebait use of racist characterization fails as an attack. Instead of attacking people who clearly out-think you, try learning from them.
Being so assertive, yet posting anon would indicate that you don't actually want to stand up for your statements. I can see why. Your position, if followed to conclusion, would include any child not yet born. The difficulty in this assertion (albeit, asserted via slippery slope argument) is that many babies are -removed- from the mother surgically, and are allowed to live. Many other babies are brutally killed with medical instruments or toxins also. Killed is exactly what is done, lest there be a potential for a viable, breathing, baby to be removed surgically, -then- killed.
I won't post anonymously, because I don't mind people knowing that mid and late term abortion is unequivocal murder. If the "mother" is fine with a 3+ month old "fetus" being murdered, and the law backs her up, then I will chalk it up to intentional Darwinism. If the "mother" or the system in place tries to redefine the murder as equivalent to a cyst removal, I take issue with that.
People kill people. I'm ok with that. Let's not rename it to "people assist population reduction", okay?
I apologize for not being totally specific to her case. Specific to her case, a condom would be a better choice. That or other surgical process. I am not an expert on best known practices for that, although a full hysterectomy would work, abiding the hormonal changes being corrected.
"Why's it so important that she survives? She is already past her expected lifetime for a woman with childbirth complications."
Self preservation instinct trumps logic. She could have saved us all the trouble of discussing this by not allowing her ( going by her makeup/hair choices) trashy boyfriends ride her bareback. I have great disdain for people who's entire contribution to this world is showing how absolutely worthless they are. While she was getting her pill, and all these tests, perhaps she should have gotten HIV/Chlamydia/Hepatitis/Ghonorrhea testing also. Please note, additionally, that much like how C-sections are somehow "medically necessary", people do lie about their situations to avoid the inconvenience attached to paying for being irresponsible. Some women put a nice tight snatcheroo over risks to their unborn child, and others claim fake medical conditions to facilitate easy fixes to their mistakes.
Women have been beating the odds of dying during childbirth for centuries. Knowingly or not, many women have avoided dying from these "potential risks" since humans first walked the earth. Yes, that last bit is an assumption based on the likelihood that risks to the mother aren't a recent invention. IUDs are the least effective of the medically proven methods of birth control. Condom + IUD is pretty damned effective at it and helps her not lose her life to stupidity. I assume that she's stupidly promiscuous, because I didn't see or hear her boyfriend/husband's opinion in there. Maybe I just missed that part.
Her explanation of how "easy" an abortion really is does not include emotional or physiological damage that any current abortion tech can cause, once 4 or more weeks have passed.
Sure! .... And time out is universally effective. Take my son, for example. Like his father, he has a very creative and active imagination. Put him in time out in the corner, and all he needs is some pocket lint and any random debris from the carpet, and he's got enough material for 2 hours' entertainment.
Oh, wait, that's a bad example.
How about we give up on being "superior" to our animal species brethren, if a technique is tried and true. A good parent, whether animal or human, frequently takes food from their own mouth (literally/metaphorically), to care for the next generation. More food is given if the offspring assist in the hunt or seem very promising. This is positive reinforcement. As humans, we seem to believe that eliminating all REAL negative reinforcement somehow makes us better, or more "humane", ergo, superior. It doesn't. Lack of true discipline sends our offspring into the world unprepared for possible outcomes of their misdeeds. Sometimes these outcomes have a very final, and fatal, impact.
If you are about to do harm, or lie/steal from another, directly or indirectly, and your get a bit of a tingle down your neck, a sense of foreboding, or panicky feeling, that is probably a sign of good negative reinforcement by your parent(s). If you happily strive for achievement, and the recognition and rewards it offers, that is likely good positive reinforcement. If you push others aside, lie, cheat, steal and (politically) backstab in your struggle for achievement, you are probably a sociopath, and likely destined for Presidency, or a top spot in a company.
All evidence is anecdotal. I am not a doctor, lawyer, or politician. Any opinions expressed here are the author's or an alien being's. All characterizations were created on the spot, and any resemblance to family, friends, or enemies of the reader are strictly intentional. No sheep were harmed in the creation of this post.
This time.....
Not -all- modern brakes are vac-assisted. Anything with forced induction spends a lot of time with little to no vacuum, or in boost realm.
Throttle by wire has been proven to be extremely responsive. More importantly, it is part of a closed-loop operation, whereby the ECU can properly evaluate requested levels versus actual in pretty much everything. If the fuel line is pinched, for example, flooring it would cause devastating detonation, EXCEPT in "by wire". Once the fuel present was mismatched to the air, the ECU would force the throttle to close somewhat, regardless of pedal position. The exception is in many cases of a wide open throttle request, when some output levels like fuel overrich are ignored, and the ECU uses an internal map of what "should be going in and out, given the max power request.
It is exceedingly easy to test the Throttle Positioning Sensor in modern vehicles. In fact, your ECU probably tests idle throttle position every time you turn the key on for a while without staring the engine. The ECU will also log 'implausible signal' for TPS that get an out of range reading, or inconsistent reading throughout the range.
Note: This information was gathered while researching diagnosing my personal car, a B5 Audi S4. It is a summary, not the automotive gospel.
This sounds like people getting paid for being stupid. I do not approve, but who am I, eh?
I think that if you dig deeper there are a lot of free rides being given to Microsoft. The money, except for taxes, is being brought in to -Microsoft-. Washington is probably no taxing them, and may even be subsidizing their property costs. Microsoft employees may live in Washington, or they may also claim residence elsewhere. So, if all the facts are brought ot light, I wonder just how much Washington is really making off of Microsoft. I don't wonder in an active fashion, like actually finding out. Too much to dig up, and sift through. I wonder, aloud, like the old guy on the porch, who has a pretty good guess in mind just how it is working out.
Too big to fail, and to big to pay taxes seems to be pretty popular, even as H1Bs and offshoring dry up any local benefits.
Just my opin. YMMV.
Good point. Which brings up the legal sensibility of a related issue: States being able to give giant tax breaks to companies as an incentive to exist there. I can see some underhanded deals making state congressmen richer, while giving out "good buddy" tax breaks to certain companies as incentive to keep lining their pockets. Perhaps i'm oversimplifying it, but I am not comfortable with how these arrangements could be abused. This is a bit off topic from leveraging differences in state regulations, but seems part of the same overall game.
Agreed. The current system is intended to give breaks where there are legitimat shortfalls. It falls short of working in the intended way.
......... And I see THAT as the real problem. Perhaps it is a boon to have a company with Microsoft's massive resources point out the many flaws in the current interstate/international systems. I'm glad this article came out, because I am sure that Microsoft is only a part of the billions in tax dollars we can recoup by fixing this type of "exploit".
The article brings it up, and your post helps get the proper mindset. Good for both!
I see. That was the easy part to address. The hard part is when you and several others become vocal about an issue, instead of rolling over like sheep. Did you miss that part? If you yourself are vocal, you simply will be quietly black balled, and slowy ( or quickly) shown the door via normal means, like something illegal being placed in your locker, or a time clock "malfunction" that gets you fired, but is mysteriously corrected later. It's been quite a few years ago, but part of the reason youwon't hear about these things is that passing of time, and the full grown power of these organizations.
Just trouble your SELF to look up United Way scandals, and some other charities, and some unions. The United Way has been busted in several ways, yet people still donate heavily via.... the workplace. Unions get involved in major scandals, yet there is no replacement of the union with some new form, just a reshuffle of officers.
When workers had no rights given, and were flat abused, several got together en masse, and brought about change. Then came greed. UPS workers, part-timers pay out about 10% of their net earnings to union dues. The union hasn't done anything in over 10 years except lose some of the part timer's benefits to attrition. The base pay has not went up over 10 percent in 15 years. The job requirements have.
I can only speak to what I know, and I am not going to do your searches for you. I'm way too lazy for that.
Just so that you know:
"Scabs" just might be people with the wisdom to see that Appliance Park Ky, would go from over 30,000 factory workers, it's own zip code and post office, miles of parking lot, etc, to a wasted zip code, empty lot, and 3,000 workers, if the union didn't give reason to not send jobs to Mexico, India, and China.
What good are great benefits, if the job moves 4,000 miles away?
Scabs are such idiots. Why would you want to work a lifetime at 18 bucks an hour, and have retirement, when you can work for 28 until the plant closes? I mean, we don't have unemployment problems for over paid low skill workers in the U.S., right?
Just so you know, union dues get collection from Ford and Kroger workers just the same. When people go from 28 to 8 an hour, their union reps won't be feeling quite that pinch.
I do. I recall tainted food at work being thrown out. I recall my dad coming home with his car vandalized, even though the parking lot had extreme security. Try crossing a picket line. THAT is disagreeing with the union. But it does, however agree with feeding your family. You don't cross a picket line. You don't try to raise up votes against what the union LEADERS want. Unions are pretty akin to the working socialism of Russia past, as I recall it. The "elected" make the decisions via suggesting how to vote, as a group. Teamsters et al don't work and lead, they simply leech a small contribution from every member for their magnificent insight and "protection" from those nasty employers.
Unions also allow anyone with seniority to do a great deal less than those around them without consequence. Disagreeing with your union steward on some random talking point won't get your family killed. Gathering steam in a campaign to remove the union, or go against its will might.
For an interesting fact-hunt, look up some articles on unions and their illegal doings.
Short answer: Just FLAC it!!
Is VBR worse then fixed bitrate? I would have to assume so. A question though, is 192kbps VBR better than 128kbps fixed? I can't figure out the best settings to use when encoding my CDs. I want the smallest file that's good enough quality where I wouldn't notice playing on an iPod. Just asking, because you seem to be an expert.
I only use max bitrate, and never variable. Variable attempts to save space versus constant, and therefore runs the risk of eliminating nuances that could be brought out otherwise.
The issue is not loopholes that are able to be removed. The issue is that the only way to ensure that abuse cannot happen is to have nearly zero ability to create anything original. The tradeoff is an inability to have variety. This makes user created content even less desirable than the worst pre-made stuff.
The Mission Architect is the best addition ever made to City of Heroes. The fact that farming is a widely used form for created missions actually stems from CoH/V deciding to include high levels of loot and crafting. Add in an intention extreme scarcity of the most desirable stat modifying drops, and people that are stat-obsessed react by finding ways to acquire those drops with the least time input. People that obsess over stats are drawn to loot, and it's bonuses. Those same people are the ones that will end up farming, or paying a farmer, instead of waiting a full year to acquire or save enough to purchase their "optimal loadout".
Loot begets farming. The farmers have found a way to optimize every aspect of the game for power or profit. Mission Architect is just another area they are leveraging.
At the end of the day, user created content opens a whole new area for player development and expression. The benefit outweighs the risk.