I didn't think of that at the time. I did contact the local media though, and a few of them were interested in running a story about it. They lost that interest though when I wound up not being fined or charged with anything.
I had some stock options through my job that I tried to cash through the etrade account that had been set up for me. The stock price was rather high, and our trading window was about to close, so I tried selling at literally the last minute. The sell order failed, and no reason was given. A few days later, I received a letter in the mail from etrade telling me that my account was locked. Several years before, while living in a different state, I had an etrade account. Because the SSN was the same on both accounts, but the addresses were totally different, some part of the Patriot Act made them lock my account until I could prove my identity by sending them a notarized copy of my social security card.
Another example, which isn't really security theater, just shitty work by the TSA happened to me a few years before that.
My wife had to fly out of state for a funeral, and she took our 6 month old daughter with her. I took them to the ticket counter. Since she was traveling with a baby, a car seat, and her carry on bag, the ticket agent offered to print me a pass that would allow me to accompany her to the gate and help her carry her things.
As I was getting up to the xray machines, I remembered that I had a small pocket knife in my pocket. I hadn't removed it since I wasn't expecting to go through security. As I got to the xray machine, I told the operator what had happened, and told her that I'd just go back through the line and put the knife out in our car.
She seemed ok with that, and told me that I could just go ahead and go through the xray machine, and out the exit that was just a few feet from the xray machine, so I didn't have to go back and work my way through the line.
As soon as I went through, several TSA agents came up and detained me for attempting to bring a weapon through the security checkpoint. I wound up being searched, my 6 month old daughter that I was holding was searched, and I was questioned for about an hour as to why I had tried to take a knife through security. Not once did they go talk to the lady running the xray machine less than 50 feet away, who had told me to go through.
In the end, my knife was confiscated (It was about a $50 knife), and I was threatened that I could be under arrest for attempting to smuggle a weapon through the airport, and I could be facing a several thousand dollar fine for it. They filled out a report, and made me immediately leave the terminal.
About a month later, I received a letter from the TSA saying that they had chosen not to fine me this time, but if I ever came up in their system again I would face the maximum penalties.
That was the day that I lost all faith in our government.
Not to mention that it does nothing with non-CC transactions, making this even more worthless.
Small businesses that are cheating on their taxes will still cheat on their taxes, this does nothing to help that. It only adds another layer of government involvement, and another chance for data to be lost/stolen/misused.
How would they figure the tax from the merchant's credit card revenue? They could have very high revenue, but low profits, or vice versa. You wouldn't be able to tell only from their CC processor history.
It's probably a regional thing. When I lived in Southern California, every time I test drove a car they would copy my license and proof of insurance, and have a salesman ride with me. Never once was it even implied that they would let me go without a salesman. They might have, but I never asked.
The last two cars that I've bought since moving to a small Montana town however have been completely different. When I bought our van, I just mentioned casually that I was interested in it. The dealer asked if I'd like a test drive. At that point, he tossed me the keys, and told me to take it home (He knew I live about 40 minutes from the dealer), load up the kids and wife, and see if they like it too. He never got my license, or any proof that I was who I said I was.
My son has a Reader Rabbit game that requires the CD to run. Every time he wants to play that game, he's got to have either me or my wife get the CD out, put it in, skip where it tries to reinstall the program because the CD was reinserted, and then start the game. It's a major PITA.
My Verizon KRZR gave me that unauthorized charger message. It was on the screen just long enough for me to start cursing Verizon, then it went away and started charging. I think the phone was afraid I was going to chuck it across the room. You probably just need to make sure your phone knows who the boss is.
You've got a 4 digit user ID, and didn't recognize this as a very, very old troll? It's been around for probably 10 years.
My point was that the original poster should have updated the specs of the computers he listed so the troll would have been more believable. I guess he didn't need to though, as quite a few people fell for it.
The Dell Inspiron 9100 had an upgradeable video card. You could swap in a 64, 128 or 256MB ATI card. I'm sure there have been other Dell models with similar functionality.
I'm not quite sure how RFID is supposed to make the checkout person bag my items any faster. Or is that not the slowest part of the whole process? It's not like we're losing a whole lot of time waiting for barcodes to be scanned, unless you're buying pears and they have to key it in manually.
Why couldn't the store simply have a pack of bags attached to the side of the cart, and you bag your own groceries as you're putting them in the cart?
My good friend works for the world's largest bicycle distribution companies, feeding Walmart amongst others. Sounds like he works for Huffy. He should be used to crap that doesn't work:)
I don't think that anyone can argue about whether they have a successful formula in personal computer software. They've made billions using that formula.
For me, Linux offers ease of use. It "just works" on my laptop (A Dell Inspiron 9100). With Windows, I need to download a driver from ATI before I can get a resolution of greater than 800x600. Ubuntu automatically recognizes my card, and correctly sets the resolution to 1680x1050. With Windows, I need to download a driver for my wireless card, Ubuntu recognized my card and configured it automatically. Windows requires several hours to set up and install all of the drivers, software, and security updates. Ubuntu takes about an hour to have the system running exactly how I want it.
As far as software goes, Ubuntu allows me to easily install whatever I want with just a few clicks. Windows requires me to search the web for software, then (If I'm lucky) download a free or shareware version of the software, or purchase the software. I live in a pretty remote area, and there are no software stores around (Except for a WalMart and Staples that are over an hour away), so it takes me at least a few hours to get the software, or up to a week if I need to buy it online. With Ubuntu, I have it within a few minutes. Also, Ubuntu keeps all of the software on my system up to date on its own, something that Windows has no way of doing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a rabid Linux fan boy. I make my living as a Windows developer, so I spend the vast majority of my time on a Windows XP box. My personal computers all run Ubuntu though, as it's shown me that it is far easier to use and maintain.
FTFA: The machine at Caesars Indiana credited gamblers $10 for each dollar they inserted because the software wasn't designed for U.S. currency, state police said. More than two dozen people played the machine before one gambler alerted Caesars employees.
If Caesars was so negligent that they put out machines not designed for US currency without testing them or having their vendor test them, then they deserve to lose the money.
Slashdot Mirror
He was spoofing the song "God Bless the USA". There's a line that says "And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_To_Be_An_American
I'd suspect something was up if my TV set exploded, and then the beer on the table next to me, whether I heard a shot or not. I'd still duck.
These cans are defective! They're springing leaks! Come over here and look at this!
Obligatory...
Comparison of filesystems on Wikipedia
Know why the vending machines at NASA all have Sprite in them? Because they can't get 7-UP.
I didn't think of that at the time. I did contact the local media though, and a few of them were interested in running a story about it. They lost that interest though when I wound up not being fined or charged with anything.
Patriot Act
I had some stock options through my job that I tried to cash through the etrade account that had been set up for me. The stock price was rather high, and our trading window was about to close, so I tried selling at literally the last minute. The sell order failed, and no reason was given. A few days later, I received a letter in the mail from etrade telling me that my account was locked. Several years before, while living in a different state, I had an etrade account. Because the SSN was the same on both accounts, but the addresses were totally different, some part of the Patriot Act made them lock my account until I could prove my identity by sending them a notarized copy of my social security card.
Another example, which isn't really security theater, just shitty work by the TSA happened to me a few years before that.
My wife had to fly out of state for a funeral, and she took our 6 month old daughter with her. I took them to the ticket counter. Since she was traveling with a baby, a car seat, and her carry on bag, the ticket agent offered to print me a pass that would allow me to accompany her to the gate and help her carry her things.
As I was getting up to the xray machines, I remembered that I had a small pocket knife in my pocket. I hadn't removed it since I wasn't expecting to go through security. As I got to the xray machine, I told the operator what had happened, and told her that I'd just go back through the line and put the knife out in our car.
She seemed ok with that, and told me that I could just go ahead and go through the xray machine, and out the exit that was just a few feet from the xray machine, so I didn't have to go back and work my way through the line.
As soon as I went through, several TSA agents came up and detained me for attempting to bring a weapon through the security checkpoint. I wound up being searched, my 6 month old daughter that I was holding was searched, and I was questioned for about an hour as to why I had tried to take a knife through security. Not once did they go talk to the lady running the xray machine less than 50 feet away, who had told me to go through.
In the end, my knife was confiscated (It was about a $50 knife), and I was threatened that I could be under arrest for attempting to smuggle a weapon through the airport, and I could be facing a several thousand dollar fine for it. They filled out a report, and made me immediately leave the terminal.
About a month later, I received a letter from the TSA saying that they had chosen not to fine me this time, but if I ever came up in their system again I would face the maximum penalties.
That was the day that I lost all faith in our government.
Not to mention that it does nothing with non-CC transactions, making this even more worthless.
Small businesses that are cheating on their taxes will still cheat on their taxes, this does nothing to help that. It only adds another layer of government involvement, and another chance for data to be lost/stolen/misused.
How would they figure the tax from the merchant's credit card revenue? They could have very high revenue, but low profits, or vice versa. You wouldn't be able to tell only from their CC processor history.
It's probably a regional thing. When I lived in Southern California, every time I test drove a car they would copy my license and proof of insurance, and have a salesman ride with me. Never once was it even implied that they would let me go without a salesman. They might have, but I never asked.
The last two cars that I've bought since moving to a small Montana town however have been completely different. When I bought our van, I just mentioned casually that I was interested in it. The dealer asked if I'd like a test drive. At that point, he tossed me the keys, and told me to take it home (He knew I live about 40 minutes from the dealer), load up the kids and wife, and see if they like it too. He never got my license, or any proof that I was who I said I was.
That's the best overview of slashdot's moderation system that I've seen in a while. Taco should update the faqs with it.
Why does someone in a low skill job deserve $30+ hour, full benefits, and a pension plan?
My son has a Reader Rabbit game that requires the CD to run. Every time he wants to play that game, he's got to have either me or my wife get the CD out, put it in, skip where it tries to reinstall the program because the CD was reinserted, and then start the game. It's a major PITA.
My Verizon KRZR gave me that unauthorized charger message. It was on the screen just long enough for me to start cursing Verizon, then it went away and started charging. I think the phone was afraid I was going to chuck it across the room. You probably just need to make sure your phone knows who the boss is.
You've got a 4 digit user ID, and didn't recognize this as a very, very old troll? It's been around for probably 10 years.
My point was that the original poster should have updated the specs of the computers he listed so the troll would have been more believable. I guess he didn't need to though, as quite a few people fell for it.
Good lord, at least update the computer specs to something from this millennium before posting this tired, old troll again.
Shouldn't they work on getting wikipedia's search to work half way decently before they try to compete with Google?
Don't get me wrong, I like wikipedia, but their search on the site is next to worthless.
The Dell Inspiron 9100 had an upgradeable video card. You could swap in a 64, 128 or 256MB ATI card. I'm sure there have been other Dell models with similar functionality.
Or the ability to update every single program installed on your machine with a few clicks?
I'm not quite sure how RFID is supposed to make the checkout person bag my items any faster. Or is that not the slowest part of the whole process? It's not like we're losing a whole lot of time waiting for barcodes to be scanned, unless you're buying pears and they have to key it in manually.
Why couldn't the store simply have a pack of bags attached to the side of the cart, and you bag your own groceries as you're putting them in the cart?I don't think that anyone can argue about whether they have a successful formula in personal computer software. They've made billions using that formula.
Actually, according to the link yo provided, the fuel tank is 2,000 gallons.
Just curious, but where do you live that you don't get OTA, Cable or Satellite, but do get DSL?
For me, Linux offers ease of use. It "just works" on my laptop (A Dell Inspiron 9100). With Windows, I need to download a driver from ATI before I can get a resolution of greater than 800x600. Ubuntu automatically recognizes my card, and correctly sets the resolution to 1680x1050. With Windows, I need to download a driver for my wireless card, Ubuntu recognized my card and configured it automatically. Windows requires several hours to set up and install all of the drivers, software, and security updates. Ubuntu takes about an hour to have the system running exactly how I want it.
As far as software goes, Ubuntu allows me to easily install whatever I want with just a few clicks. Windows requires me to search the web for software, then (If I'm lucky) download a free or shareware version of the software, or purchase the software. I live in a pretty remote area, and there are no software stores around (Except for a WalMart and Staples that are over an hour away), so it takes me at least a few hours to get the software, or up to a week if I need to buy it online. With Ubuntu, I have it within a few minutes. Also, Ubuntu keeps all of the software on my system up to date on its own, something that Windows has no way of doing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a rabid Linux fan boy. I make my living as a Windows developer, so I spend the vast majority of my time on a Windows XP box. My personal computers all run Ubuntu though, as it's shown me that it is far easier to use and maintain.
FTFA: The machine at Caesars Indiana credited gamblers $10 for each dollar they inserted because the software wasn't designed for U.S. currency, state police said. More than two dozen people played the machine before one gambler alerted Caesars employees.
If Caesars was so negligent that they put out machines not designed for US currency without testing them or having their vendor test them, then they deserve to lose the money.