He handed them money in return for certain votes. That is 100% illegal.
No argument whatsoever. I believe that corruption by government officials should be a capital crime in the same class as treason. All these republocrat motherfuckers should be taken out and shot. End of story.
To quote: "Among the biggest beneficiaries were Capitol Hill's most powerful Democrats, including Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) and Harry M. Reid (Nev.), the top two Senate Democrats at the time, Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), then-leader of the House Democrats, and the two lawmakers in charge of raising funds for their Democratic colleagues in both chambers, according to a Washington Post study. Reid succeeded Daschle as Democratic leader after Daschle lost his Senate seat last November."
and
"Because of the makeup of his team and the composition of Congress, the Abramoff lobbyists channeled most of their clients' giving to GOP legislators, according to a review of public records. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), chairman of an Appropriations subcommittee that frequently deals with Indian matters, received the largest amount from the tribes as well as from the Greenberg Traurig lobbyists who helped direct those donations: $141,590 from 1999 to 2004, the study showed.
But Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) ran second, with $128,000 in the same period. From 1999 to 2001, Kennedy chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which solicited campaign donations for House candidates."
Last time I checked, $128,000 was greater that $1 but with the new math being taught by NEA union and Democratic math where decreases in the rate of spending increases are "cuts" I might be wrong...
Good effort though, keep trying to spin it that it is a republican problem and not an everybody in Washinton problem.
640 x 364 x 24 bits 4.25" 16x9 LCD Weight 257g, 6.5" x 2.8 x.85" 40GB Hard Drive, 2GB Flash (Instant On/Standby) Touch screen with Inkwell, full Qwerty Keyboard Twistable Clamshell
(see Sharp Zaurus SL-C3100), touch wheel as joystick in landscape, edge buttons for gaming - see Zodiac/PSP OSX Lite based on FreeBSD w/ Linux Layer Enabled 802.11G/Bluetooth/IR/IEEE 1394 Headphone Jack USB 2.0 (2) Compact Flash Slot 4 AA NiMH 2300Mah batteries, user replacable Software
Open Office
iCal Sync
iTunes
My question for Slashdot: Given that modern PDAs have almost all the functionality of these separate devices, how has Palm and Microsoft/PocketPC developers failed in making PDAs a force in this new era of portable media devices?
In almost every way...
It is the poor marketing, bad media apps, public perception, or do people simply not want an all-in-one for mobile media?" ?
My wife and I saw Serenity yesterday. She had not seen any of the shows and understood and enjoyed the movie. I nejoyed it becasue of the complex plot, good character development and I understod the backstory.
Most movies today are just proof that there are too many drugs and alcohol in Hollywierd...
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite - inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.
Law 2
Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
Law 3
Conceal your Intentions
Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.
Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Law 5
So Much Depends on Reputation - Guard it with your Life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.
Law 6
Court Attention at all Cost
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.
Law 7
Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
Law 8
Make other People come to you - use Bait if Necessary
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains - then attack. You hold the cards.
Law 9
Win through your Actions, Never through Argument
Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
Law 10
Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
You can die from someone else's misery - emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are onl
"A WALL STREET JOURNAL NEWS ROUNDUP September 27, 2005; Page C5
TOKYO -- Moody's Investors Service put Sony Corp. on review for a possible ratings downgrade, citing doubts about the electronics company's revival plan as its shares fell 3.1% to a three-week low yesterday.
The review reflects concern that Sony will be unable "to regain the strong profit and cash flow generation patterns seen in its past," Moody's said in a statement, adding that the survey could lead to a downgrade of the single-A1 ratings of Sony and its subsidiaries. That is four rungs below the top rating, triple-A. . . . Analysts generally weren't impressed by the plan, saying it lacked vision and creativity. Instead of deciding on spinoffs or outlining a clearer way to piggyback its electronics units with its entertainment arm, Sony unveiled a proposal that sounded much like other plans to streamline corporate structure, analysts said. . . . Moody's said prices for consumer-electronics products have been declining so fast that the Sony electronics business has recorded operating losses in the past two years despite earlier attempts to bolster business by shutting factories and cutting jobs.
Aside from the cost cuts, Sony said it would focus on so-called champion products, including PlayStation 3 next-generation video-game consoles, Bravia liquid-crystal-display televisions and Walkman MP3 music players, which so far have been dominated by Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod." *** *** ***
I have not bought a PSP because of Sony's DRM policies. I may finaly buy one because of this hack. I want a device that I can surf the web with, play new state of the art games with, play Mame games with, use as a remote terminal for my email, use VNC, play MP3s, and watch Tivo/Myth/DVD content that I own.
What I really want (check my other posts) is a upgraded Apple Newton to do the above but for $225 a PSP will do about 80%. All the PSP needs now is a decent portable keyboard and I can go with it. I hope they consider a touch screen version soon.
Maybe Apple is just waiting for the death rattle and they will buy Sony up. It could be a great merger if they focus on the technology, the user, and not cave to the Hollywood assholes. I believe in free enterprise, free speech, and fair use. There does need to be a model and balance of technology where the creators, owners, and producers of both content and hardware get paid. I'm also willing to pay for cool hardware, subscription fees, and for disks/whatnot. I just don't want to pay multiple times for multiple views.
I have been a long time Tivo user and I have generally loved it.
I have been waiting to see what Tivo and Comcast had planned for a HDTV/Digital Cable/PVR box. This just let me know.
I had resisted doing a MythTV box because with HDTV tuners and the capacity I wanted it would be about $600-700 (correct me if I'm wrong) but methinks I will revist the project.
Can anyone suggest a good recipe site for a HDTV OTA MythTV box?
No, I'm not in the 60% tax bracket but thanks for the troll...
I pay 31% federal. My state and local taxes are 11%, I pay property taxes of ~$2500 per year. I pay sales tax of 6.125% on all my after tax spending. I pay capital gains of 15% on my investment earnings on my risk in the stock market. I pay 35 cents a gallon gasoline tax. I pay car registration. I pay business registration tax. I pay 7% into social security as does my employer. I pay for my pet to be registered. I pay government mandated fees on my land line phone, my cell phones, my internet access. In addition to taxes I pay for water plus a facility fee, garbage plus an air quality fee, sewer, etc. I'm sure I've forgotten some but it is all well above 60%.
Why don't you add all yours up?
P.
Citizens are not "taught" to hate taxes. Taxed are a form of theft by the government through coercion. 60% of what I make is going to support other people, other agendas, or straight into corrupt pockets. I didn't need to be "taught" that, it is basic self-defense!
Politics is at it's core, corrupt. Any large project is almost doomed to fail because of that corruption and lack of controls that being funded by the government enables.
You think the hand-wringing over Katrina is bad, wait until the Boston Big Dig collapses. Billions wasted and the problem not solved.
A couple of thoughts - Democracy is the the worst form of government - except for the all the others.
Free market is the worst form of resource distribution - except for all the others.
Both statements stem from the fact that democracy and free market recognise that people work best from self-interest, not coercion. Most of the evils of the world stem from the perversion and corruption of self-interest. This includes a businessman bribing an official to coerce or corrupt.
Free markets and capitialism in a pure form can hurt people but only in the way that a bell curve shows that some things are less than other things. Not everything is equal and some will have more than others. How they get it and what is "fair" or the best way to distribute is the question. Government in all forms as they exist today is clearly NOT the answer.
And don't forget that this whole thing is George Bush's fault. If he had just signed the Kyoto treaty, none of this would have happened, the hurricane would have become a giant cornucopia of flowers, puppies, and butter.
Oh yea, don't forget the French, who else would build a city in bowl of seawater and fill it with poor people...
Last week had two events of significance for me. One was the digitizer on my Palm Tungsten T died and the other was the Sony PSP was released. The problem is that I don't want either of them. There is nothing that I want to replace my TT with and I don't want a PSP.
What I want is the Apple Newton II!
Here is my recipe for the new Newton:
One Tapwave Zodiac (gaming but Palm compatability)
One PSP (screen aspect ratio and quality, build quality, 802.11/USB, and a (soon) real game library)
one Zaurus SL-C3000 (modern CPU hardware, form factor with keyboard and touchscreen (twistable), open source OS (linux or xBSD), hard drive, CF slots), real I/O
Add iPod mini functionality and HD storage >= 10Gb
Add Newton HWR(inkwell?) and general Newton goodness
Add replacable AA batteries that will last a FULL day so I'm never stuck
Vendor support of an active development community MS Outlook sync for PDA functions (calendar and contacts) (my job requires it, what can I say....)
Stir to make it all cool and integrated and still be work meeting/date/wife safe
I would pay $699 tomorrow for all of this and even pay $50 a year for a software subscription for the basics.
Slashdot Mirror
He handed them money in return for certain votes. That is 100% illegal. No argument whatsoever. I believe that corruption by government officials should be a capital crime in the same class as treason. All these republocrat motherfuckers should be taken out and shot. End of story.
There are a few democrats mentioned here...
c le/2005/06/02/AR2005060202158.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/arti
To quote:
"Among the biggest beneficiaries were Capitol Hill's most powerful Democrats, including Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) and Harry M. Reid (Nev.), the top two Senate Democrats at the time, Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), then-leader of the House Democrats, and the two lawmakers in charge of raising funds for their Democratic colleagues in both chambers, according to a Washington Post study. Reid succeeded Daschle as Democratic leader after Daschle lost his Senate seat last November."
and
"Because of the makeup of his team and the composition of Congress, the Abramoff lobbyists channeled most of their clients' giving to GOP legislators, according to a review of public records. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), chairman of an Appropriations subcommittee that frequently deals with Indian matters, received the largest amount from the tribes as well as from the Greenberg Traurig lobbyists who helped direct those donations: $141,590 from 1999 to 2004, the study showed.
But Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) ran second, with $128,000 in the same period. From 1999 to 2001, Kennedy chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which solicited campaign donations for House candidates."
Last time I checked, $128,000 was greater that $1 but with the new math being taught by NEA union and Democratic math where decreases in the rate of spending increases are "cuts" I might be wrong...
Good effort though, keep trying to spin it that it is a republican problem and not an everybody in Washinton problem.
p.s. I'm not a republican or democrat...
Don't be afraid to let them know how you feel!
Specs:
.85"
640 x 364 x 24 bits 4.25" 16x9 LCD
Weight 257g, 6.5" x 2.8 x
40GB Hard Drive, 2GB Flash (Instant On/Standby)
Touch screen with Inkwell, full Qwerty Keyboard Twistable Clamshell
(see Sharp Zaurus SL-C3100), touch wheel as joystick in landscape, edge buttons for gaming - see Zodiac/PSP
OSX Lite based on FreeBSD w/ Linux Layer Enabled
802.11G/Bluetooth/IR/IEEE 1394
Headphone Jack
USB 2.0 (2)
Compact Flash Slot
4 AA NiMH 2300Mah batteries, user replacable
Software
Open Office
iCal Sync
iTunes
Price $649
Yea, but Amazon Prime has free shipping for $79 a year...
no.
you sir, are fuckwit for asking. Now go audit your TPS reports dickhead.
The asshats in the USPO are either terminally or criminally stupid - the difference is irrelevant.
That is all well and good though I noticed the fact that the state is getting the money and not the consumer.
The people of Texas are getting the root twice - once by Sony and once by the government!
People, this is really simple. Don't buy Sony until they atone...
"Gee Ward, you were awful hard on the Beaver last night!"
[Mitch Taylor speaking through the microphone so that Kent hears voices in his head]
Mitch: And from now on, stop playing with yourself.
Kent: It is God.
So what you are saying is "The bleatings will continue until morale improves"?
Sony can kiss my ass and pay me!
I will never buy another Sony product after their DRM bullshit.
on using the cover sheets on the TPM report?
Sony, you have gone too far...
No PSP for Christmas!
No PS3 next year!
So you protected a $15 CD by killing ~$700 of hardware purchases plus whatever games I would have purchased.
No wonder your stock sucks and your revenues are down!
Your DRM works, I'm exercising my right not to purchase your products any more!
In almost every way...
It is the poor marketing, bad media apps, public perception, or do people simply not want an all-in-one for mobile media?" ?
Yes
Glad I could help
He meant Homergenizing not Homogenizing...
I agree with you totally!
My wife and I saw Serenity yesterday. She had not seen any of the shows and understood and enjoyed the movie. I nejoyed it becasue of the complex plot, good character development and I understod the backstory.
Most movies today are just proof that there are too many drugs and alcohol in Hollywierd...
The 48 Laws of Power
by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers
http://www.tech.purdue.edu/Cgt/Courses/cgt411/cove y/48_laws_of_power.htm
Law 1
Never Outshine the Master
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite - inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.
Law 2
Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
Law 3
Conceal your Intentions
Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.
Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Law 5
So Much Depends on Reputation - Guard it with your Life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.
Law 6
Court Attention at all Cost
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.
Law 7
Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
Law 8
Make other People come to you - use Bait if Necessary
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains - then attack. You hold the cards.
Law 9
Win through your Actions, Never through Argument
Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
Law 10
Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
You can die from someone else's misery - emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are onl
From the Wall Street Journal this morning:
2 400,00.html?mod=asia_technology_primary_hs
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB11277671713255
"A WALL STREET JOURNAL NEWS ROUNDUP
September 27, 2005; Page C5
TOKYO -- Moody's Investors Service put Sony Corp. on review for a possible ratings downgrade, citing doubts about the electronics company's revival plan as its shares fell 3.1% to a three-week low yesterday.
The review reflects concern that Sony will be unable "to regain the strong profit and cash flow generation patterns seen in its past," Moody's said in a statement, adding that the survey could lead to a downgrade of the single-A1 ratings of Sony and its subsidiaries. That is four rungs below the top rating, triple-A.
.
.
.
Analysts generally weren't impressed by the plan, saying it lacked vision and creativity. Instead of deciding on spinoffs or outlining a clearer way to piggyback its electronics units with its entertainment arm, Sony unveiled a proposal that sounded much like other plans to streamline corporate structure, analysts said.
.
.
.
Moody's said prices for consumer-electronics products have been declining so fast that the Sony electronics business has recorded operating losses in the past two years despite earlier attempts to bolster business by shutting factories and cutting jobs.
Aside from the cost cuts, Sony said it would focus on so-called champion products, including PlayStation 3 next-generation video-game consoles, Bravia liquid-crystal-display televisions and Walkman MP3 music players, which so far have been dominated by Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod."
*** *** ***
I have not bought a PSP because of Sony's DRM policies. I may finaly buy one because of this hack. I want a device that I can surf the web with, play new state of the art games with, play Mame games with, use as a remote terminal for my email, use VNC, play MP3s, and watch Tivo/Myth/DVD content that I own.
What I really want (check my other posts) is a upgraded Apple Newton to do the above but for $225 a PSP will do about 80%. All the PSP needs now is a decent portable keyboard and I can go with it. I hope they consider a touch screen version soon.
Maybe Apple is just waiting for the death rattle and they will buy Sony up. It could be a great merger if they focus on the technology, the user, and not cave to the Hollywood assholes. I believe in free enterprise, free speech, and fair use. There does need to be a model and balance of technology where the creators, owners, and producers of both content and hardware get paid. I'm also willing to pay for cool hardware, subscription fees, and for disks/whatnot. I just don't want to pay multiple times for multiple views.
I have been a long time Tivo user and I have generally loved it.
I have been waiting to see what Tivo and Comcast had planned for a HDTV/Digital Cable/PVR box. This just let me know.
I had resisted doing a MythTV box because with HDTV tuners and the capacity I wanted it would be about $600-700 (correct me if I'm wrong) but methinks I will revist the project.
Can anyone suggest a good recipe site for a HDTV OTA MythTV box?
Thanks,
Bod
No, I'm not in the 60% tax bracket but thanks for the troll... I pay 31% federal. My state and local taxes are 11%, I pay property taxes of ~$2500 per year. I pay sales tax of 6.125% on all my after tax spending. I pay capital gains of 15% on my investment earnings on my risk in the stock market. I pay 35 cents a gallon gasoline tax. I pay car registration. I pay business registration tax. I pay 7% into social security as does my employer. I pay for my pet to be registered. I pay government mandated fees on my land line phone, my cell phones, my internet access. In addition to taxes I pay for water plus a facility fee, garbage plus an air quality fee, sewer, etc. I'm sure I've forgotten some but it is all well above 60%. Why don't you add all yours up? P.
I think you are close but your logic is flawed.
Citizens are not "taught" to hate taxes. Taxed are a form of theft by the government through coercion. 60% of what I make is going to support other people, other agendas, or straight into corrupt pockets. I didn't need to be "taught" that, it is basic self-defense!
Politics is at it's core, corrupt. Any large project is almost doomed to fail because of that corruption and lack of controls that being funded by the government enables.
You think the hand-wringing over Katrina is bad, wait until the Boston Big Dig collapses. Billions wasted and the problem not solved.
A couple of thoughts - Democracy is the the worst form of government - except for the all the others.
Free market is the worst form of resource distribution - except for all the others.
Both statements stem from the fact that democracy and free market recognise that people work best from self-interest, not coercion. Most of the evils of the world stem from the perversion and corruption of self-interest. This includes a businessman bribing an official to coerce or corrupt.
Free markets and capitialism in a pure form can hurt people but only in the way that a bell curve shows that some things are less than other things. Not everything is equal and some will have more than others. How they get it and what is "fair" or the best way to distribute is the question. Government in all forms as they exist today is clearly NOT the answer.
And don't forget that this whole thing is George Bush's fault. If he had just signed the Kyoto treaty, none of this would have happened, the hurricane would have become a giant cornucopia of flowers, puppies, and butter. Oh yea, don't forget the French, who else would build a city in bowl of seawater and fill it with poor people...
This is a repost...
Dear Steve,
Last week had two events of significance for me. One was the digitizer on my Palm Tungsten T died and the other was the Sony PSP was released. The problem is that I don't want either of them. There is nothing that I want to replace my TT with and I don't want a PSP.
What I want is the Apple Newton II!
Here is my recipe for the new Newton:
One Tapwave Zodiac (gaming but Palm compatability)
One PSP (screen aspect ratio and quality, build quality, 802.11/USB, and a (soon) real game library)
one Zaurus SL-C3000 (modern CPU hardware, form factor with keyboard and touchscreen (twistable), open source OS (linux or xBSD), hard drive, CF slots), real I/O
Add iPod mini functionality and HD storage >= 10Gb
Add Newton HWR(inkwell?) and general Newton goodness
Add replacable AA batteries that will last a FULL day so I'm never stuck
Vendor support of an active development community
MS Outlook sync for PDA functions (calendar and contacts) (my job requires it, what can I say....)
Stir to make it all cool and integrated and still be work meeting/date/wife safe
I would pay $699 tomorrow for all of this and even pay $50 a year for a software subscription for the basics.
What do you say Steve, can I have one?
Your fired because your code won't compile...
/* Begin pay raise */
Should read: