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User: spj524

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  1. Re:This is the box you're looking for on Sidestepping A-to-D Convertors For Town Government's Cable TV? · · Score: 1

    Good find... although I will tell you Comcast will not PAY for this solution.

    I was talking to a Commercial Sales rep for Comcast the other day and they have no solution for bars and gyms (with all those TVs on the cardio equipment). She said (here in SW Florida) the TVs would be dark by the end of the year. 32 TVs is nothing compared to the damage they'll get off this. She did mention that DirecTV (or DishNetwork) had a solution and was ready to rake in the money.

  2. Whats new? on UK Government To Outsource Data Snooping and Storage · · Score: 1

    The US does this now. There evidently are quite a few companies out there that specialize in gathering intel for nations.

    I think I was listening to someone on NPR talk about this not too long ago.. Maybe the guy who wrote Shadow Factory?

  3. Re:Ultimate Remote Control ? on Linux Tablet to be Released in Two Days · · Score: 1
    IR is much more common interface in most households than WiFi (ie - can you control your TV with WiFi? Ethernet for that matter?)

    Although your idea is a bit more practical with products like this floating around.

  4. Re:incompatible objectives on MA Lawmakers Question Move to OpenOffice · · Score: 1

    So what happens when Walmart only pays their employees enough to buy the goods they sell within Walmart stores?

    I don't think Walmart's philosophy falls too far from Ford's...

  5. Re:bush judges on Supreme Court Rules Private Property Can be Seized · · Score: 1

    Or sometimes not at all. The main thing to worry about is how this will be abused (and I think that is what most people here are worried about).

    Check out the Top 10 Eminent Domain Abuse cases:

    1. Removing an entire neighborhood and the condemnation of homes for a privately owned and operated office park and other, unspecified uses to complement a nearby Pfizer facility in New London, Connecticut.
    2. Approving the condemnation of more than 1,700 buildings and the dislocation of more than 5,000 residents for private commercial and industrial development in Riviera Beach, Florida.
    3. A government agency collecting a $56,500 bounty for condemning land in East St. Louis, Illinois, to give to a neighboring racetrack for parking.
    4. Replacing a less-expensive car dealership with a BMW dealership in Merriam, Kansas.
    5. Condemning a building in Boston just to help the owner break his leases so that the property could be used for a new luxury hotel.
    6. Seizing the homes of elderly homeowners in Mississippi and forcing them and their extended families to move in order to transfer the land to Nissan for a new, privately owned car manufacturing plant, despite the fact that the land is not even needed for the project.
    7. Taking the building of an elderly widow for casino parking in Las Vegas, claiming it was blighted but without ever even looking at the building.
    8. Improperly denying building permits to a church in New Cassel, New York, then condemning the property for private retail as soon as it looked like the church would begin construction.
    9. Condemning 83 homes for a new Chrysler plant in Toledo, Ohio, that was supposed to bring jobs but ended up employing less than half the projected number because it is fully automated.
    10. Forcing two families (along with their neighbors) to move for a private mall expansion in Hurst, Texas, while spouses were dying of cancer.
    Source: http://www.castlecoalition.org/top_10_abuses/index .shtml
  6. Re:Are they Liberal or are they Social Democrats? on Supreme Court Rules Private Property Can be Seized · · Score: 1

    If you're trying to compair the UK system with the US check out http://www.politicalcompass.org/. At the bottom (left) they have a link to the 2005 UK election.

  7. Re:Yeah, let the state do my taxes. on CA State Offers To Prepare Simple Tax Returns · · Score: 1

    Sounds a bit like the fox guarding the hen house.

  8. Re:I'm not a Californian on Tinfoil Hat House · · Score: 1

    Thats funny... You can clearly see a satellite dish antenna in the picture.

  9. Re:Minimum wage? on Google Founders Cut Salaries to $1 · · Score: 1

    someone Mod parent up. Its all abuot being exempt or non-exempt. Management or a workerbee.

  10. Re:Minimum wage? on Google Founders Cut Salaries to $1 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Two things wrong with that old saw -- first, it is never adequately explained why an extra dollar paid as wages to employee causes inflation, while that same dollar paid as dividends to a shareholder does not.

    So if the cost of making my product goes up I shouldn't raise the price? When I raise the price customers have to pay more. Simple.

    If you raise the minimum wage in effect you end up raising all wages. If you are raising all wages you end up raising all product/service's production cost. It just makes the ignorant think they are getting paid more - and a really easy way to buy votes! :)

    (Shareholders and employees are apples and oranges. One owns part of a company and (in some cases) can receive parts of the profit in return for their investment and the other works for said company. Again apples and oranges.)

  11. Re:Not the smartest idea this... on Dayton, Ohio: Free City-Wide WiFi · · Score: 1

    I think you're confusing the 'idea' of the internet with the 'hardware' it runs on.

    The hardware costs money - and therefore can be regulated by the owner.

    If the owner doesn't like your information (which when graphically rendered looks like a womans bare breast. gasp!) they have every right to not allow that information cross over their hardware.

    And since the government is the owner (of the hardware) it all boils down to what you want your government to offer you. Free (as in cost) internet may not be free (as in information).

  12. Re:Countdown in 3, 2, 1... on Dayton, Ohio: Free City-Wide WiFi · · Score: 1

    Unless the private company can offer something better (wider coverage area) for free or charge for higher access speeds I don't think you have an argument and I'm about as capitalistic as they come. With the current security issues of wireless access I really don't see the private sector investing too much into free access anytime soon. Opens up way too many legal issues (as mentioned above).

  13. Tallahassee (maybe?) on Dayton, Ohio: Free City-Wide WiFi · · Score: 1

    I was sitting in the TLH airport the other day when I noticed a sign saying they had free wireless access in the airport and downtown.

    I hopped online while I was waiting for my flight but I haven't had a chance to check the downtown access.

    Anyone else know?

  14. Re:Voicemail hell on Build Your Own PBX · · Score: 1

    I tried doing that but forwarding all the calls to India got way to expensive.

  15. Re:Before anyone here tries to blame Republicans on Senate May Rush Copyright Legislation · · Score: 1

    Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] (R)*
    Sen Cochran, Thad [MS] (R)
    Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (D)
    Sen Grassley, Charles E. [IA] (R)
    Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] (D)
    Sen Kohl, Herb [WI] (D)
    Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (D)
    Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (D)

    Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] (R)*
    Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] (D)
    Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] (D)
    Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] (D)
    Rep Coble, Howard [NC-6] (R)
    Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] (D)
    Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] (R)
    Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] (R)
    Rep Green, Mark [WI-8] (R)
    Rep Hart, Melissa A. [PA-4] (R)
    Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6] (R)
    Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] (D)
    Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (D)
    Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] (D)

    * = introduced

    So it has bipartisan support. That means its good for us right?

    (and no one even asks if its legal for congress to even legislate in this area...)

  16. Re:Extreme views on Fahrenheit 9/11 Discussion · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Don't copy other people's opinions; listen to both sides of the story and make your own.

    Exactly. Don't believe what anyone tells you without going out and doing some research yourself. If what you find confirms what you are told, then and only then can you consider it as fact. I see too many people on both sides pick up quick buzz-phrases and run with them only to be made a complete fool by someone who is more informed. Do your homework.

    /wow. this took 4 'Previews'... HTML is rusty

  17. Re:More Pictures on Sony VAIO U50 Reviewed In Depth · · Score: 5, Funny

    HA! It has a built in Ctrl-Alt-Delete button! I guess we should have seen that one comming.

  18. Re:Propellor? on USS Enterprise Finally Flies · · Score: 1

    Oh, that was bad...

  19. Re:psand have been doing this in the UK on Temporary Wireless Service For An Outdoors Event? · · Score: 2, Interesting
    From the website:

    Lessons Learnt:

    There are more people with good suggestions than people with desire to carry them out.

  20. Re:Petty Lawsuits? on Virginia MagLev Project Back on Track · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Let us hope that this sets a precedent to Americans to not litigate ourselves out of the science and technology markets due to petty disagreements and greed.

    Just why is it greed when I'm looking out for myself?

    I, for one, would much rather ride a Maglev monorail with others, than drive a gas-guzzling car by myself.

    And I, for one, would much rather ride in a comfortable gas-guzzling, XM radio playing SUV than an a 14 million dollar mass transit Maglev that smells like a wet band-aid. Just another petty opinion, I guess.

    Seth

  21. Re:Oh yes, politicians understand technology... on Florida Proposes Taxing Local LANs · · Score: 1

    Actually this could work... The article says it would tax leased systems (systems you pay for month to month, year, etc) and tax on the depreciation (tax write-offs for that $500 14.4k modem still in inventory) companies claim on older equipment not in use.

  22. This race is really hard..... on American Solar Challenge 2003 Starts · · Score: 2, Funny
    According to the rules, participants must listen to a looped version of the Official Theme Song the entire 2300 miles....

    That's rough.

    Seth

  23. Hold on now...... on Artists Protesting Single-Song Downloads · · Score: 3, Informative
    Artists don't sit around and contemplate over 2 songs they think are "good" then go out and make "filler" for the rest of the CD. These guys are ego driven. They have a montage of people telling them, "Oh man that was great! Thatâ(TM)s going to be a hit!" on every song! The label decides what song is so catchy that you will immediately run out and buy the CD. Thatâ(TM)s why you only hear 1 song come out.

    And I agree with the artists. You wouldnâ(TM)t cut just they eyes out of the Mona Lisa and framed them just because thatâ(TM)s all thatâ(TM)s all you liked. A CD is a compilation of their âartâ(TM) even if parts of the art suck.

    I would also agree that these should take a back seat to this argument. Letâ(TM)s get this âNew Industryâ(TM) up and rolling to SAVE the music industry. Then you can worry about what you sell on a CD. Hopefully this ânew industryâ(TM) will encourage more artists and better artists â" ones who can make a full 74 minutes worth listening to.

    Seth

  24. Re:Shhhhhhh...... on RIAA Nightmare: Pro-level Portable Hard Disk Recorder · · Score: 1

    I really don't think the RIAA is going to care too much about this. This thing looks like a digital field recorder (see Nagra: http://equipmentemporium.com/recorder.htm).

    These things have been out for years. But the price of these looks really good for all of the features! Reliability will be the next test....

    Seth

  25. So back to the orginal question...... on Cheap Audio Production · · Score: 1
    "I realize that a talented producer can cost a lot of money and some bands drink a lot of beer, but why aren't the benefits of lower production costs being passed on to the consumer?"

    So do you expect coders to get paid less the next time a free, quick open source language is made.

    No. Of course not. Just because inexpensive methods are availiable doesn't mean that studio engineers will be paid less. Even now getting a Pro Tools operator will cost you just as much as renting a studio for a day.

    The music industry is working on old bu$ine$$ models and their less than willing attitude toward changing has done nothing but piss their customers off. Until they change their own practices, no one is happy.

    BTW, getting a real Pro Tools rig will cost you WELL over $15,000. Double that and you're getting close...

    Have fun,

    Seth