--wellstone got assassinated. It's reality. The remaining senators took this as a clue on playing ball. They went along with the "opposition" amendments that they knew wouldn't stand a chance anyway, then most of them lined up to grant dictatorial powers to the executive branch.
They not only are cowards, but they abrogated their responsibilites and turned over constitutional duties that aren't their's to give away. But it doesn't matter, the bulk of the US code is unconstitutional anyway. It's a joke. they took the commerce clause and the duty to promote the general welfare to heights not even imagined by the founders. And even with the delineated bill of rights, it hasn't mattered, they just do what they want to do. We have a government comprised of bribe takers, blackmail reciepients, and blackmailers. Murders and assination happen, and nothing is ever done about it. From waco to chandra levy to a president to senators to "friends of bill" to "friends of the bushes", people get whacked. It's a dictatorship with window dressing teevee melodrama "politics". In some nation that has "one" party, people can see this easily, but for some reason, when you have "two" parties, but the results are constantly the same as those "one" party nations we all like to point at, the residents of the "two party" nation keep insisting they have choice and freedom, more from fervently wishing it than actually enjoying it.
Expect the roadblocks, the military troops all over in the streets and patrolling schools and factories and other businesses, and the camps soon,too, because it's coming. Oh ya, and the "disappeards". First it will be only partly disappeard, we are seeing that now, to "military tribunals", but eventually the numbers will get high enough they'll just vanish and not even bother with any niceties like that.
There is just an overwhelming parallelism with past tyrannical regimes, it's impossible to ignore it now unless you go way out of your way and apply blinders, which most people are doing.
---here's the problem. Our system was setup for independents, not for a cabal of two almost identical private organizations to back and forth split the OWNERSHIP of the government. No place is it carved in stone that the dimwits and repugnants get the whole deal, BUT, by manipulating the system they have brainwashed people into voting for them well past any sort of usefulness right into harmful.. They control the mass media outlets, the broadcast and print media to a large extent. It's the party line, year after decade. It never ends.
The times we've had national debates that included third parties, the third parties did well in the polls and elections. Several election cycles in a row who knows what might happen. They don't do that anymore now, they realised that too many people would see that yes, there are alternatives. And that "waste your vote" nonsense both parties use to scare their brainwashed sheeps back into the herd. We have globalist_traitor_goon party A and B. They keep their little minions faked out "lookout, just you lookout now, don't you dare be wastin' your vote! If you don't vote for our goon, the other guy's goon will get in!". Well, duh. Result is we keep electing goons from the globalist_traitor_goon parties.
There's no checks and balances when a combo of the crips and bloods run the show. A criminal gang is a criminal gang, those retardo labels they give themselves are the biggest scam going, there's a pittance worth of difference over all in the long haul. More big government, more taxes,more intrusiveness, more laws that aren't constitutional, on and on. It won't end until people stop voting for those people, local to federal, until enough people see you get the same thing if you keep electing the same thing. And it hasn't mattered, back and forth, this goon is a prez, these goons run the house, the other goons run the senate, both of them pick tame goons for the courts, always distills to the essence of "goonishness".
It's too far, most people won't wake up until there's tanks in the streets, armed mercenaries on the corners with full auto rifles, "camps" of the work and re education and concentration variety, and the whole nine yards then they STILL won't realise that it's mostly their fault for voting for it and putting up wityh it as they went about their daily entertainments and amusements..
Bread and circuses works, divide and conqueor works, and mass psyops and propoganda and brainwashing work. Look how theyuse popular television, theyhave people seeing police routinely breaking the law and violating rights, they have tv shows with the cia engaged in domestic work, they constantly link anyone who espouses constituional mandates as somehow being "fringe" and a 'domestic terrorist", they link gun ownership-not misuse, just plain ownership-with being a drug dealer or worse. They are breainwashing the children in public schools, demonizing home schoolers, getting the doctors to find out who owns guns by asking little billy and sally "do your parents have guns? where are they, how many do they have?". Just all sorts of little chunks of creeping fascism and snitchisms.
People just must really enjoy this sort of thing, they really put up with it. Why I don't know, but they sure do.
..it's too bad walmart doesn't have these machines on the shelf, or at least one of them, one of the mid range models perhaps. The local walmart here you have a choice of one-an HP I believe-running xp. On the software shelf, xp. I don't see anything wrong with a low end budget computer. that's why these markets have terms like that, high end fulla blinkenlights and quad fans, down to these cheap systems. Something for everyone is a *good thing* methinks. Around here the few independent and white box shops offer almost the same low end config for around 600$ and up in a lot of cases and are getting it (when they sell them), mostly because people just don't know any better. Pickups they know, tractors they know, used or new 4 wheel buggys they know, computers, nope, microsoft=computer=it has to be expensive, and as such most people still don't have them. Just yesterday I saw one guy had a 486 bundle all used everything for 250$. I was incredulous, but I guess folks don't realize that out in the "heartland" there's not enough choice. That's the tradeoffs in a lot of matters. And it's hard to shop around and order online if you don't have a computer in the first place, yes?
I don't necessarily approve of walmart,it's business model in general, not really, but at least there's finally some effort to break the stranglehold of microsoft-only and expensive-only for computing.
--I second the nomination of the iCab browser as being just "good" overall. Wicked fast (in my purely anecdotal tests the fastest GUI browser I have ever used), small download, installs easily, updates easily, basically "just works" really well, plus all the features. Cookie control is outstanding and there are a lot more speedy menu choices available directly from the browser rather than opening a preferences dialog window separately, images load and not load, select just one image on a page, etc.. I've only used it on Mac classic, but tell ya what, it allowed me to listen to mp3 streaming audio plus browsing when nothing else would on my semi ancient 1400 powerbook, and runs on a real old one almost as well, an old 280c I setup for my girlfriend, that only has a moto 68k processor in it at I *think* 25 mghz.. I actually wish that it was ported to linux as well, I'd use it if it was the same functionality it has in mac over, say, mozilla.
--the last comdex I attended (worked at)was the year the combined brain power of the comdex event organizers (interface group then? I've forgotten now, too many shows)and the atlanta convention and visitor's bureau scheduled comdex the same time as the black students spring break, "freaknik". All of us native Atlanta workers KNEW it was gonna suck, and be terrible and a disaster, and so it was. Hysterically funny in retrospect. It's like all these mega brains and high paid people couldn't bingo to the sheer utter mess it would cause and do a little emergency tradeshow re routing and scheduling.
With that said, they sure used to have some nice boothbabes going way back. Not as good as the sporting goods SuperShow or the larger car shows, but still respectable.
if YOU want to move to linux on YOUR computer and let THEM use it go ahead. If they DEMAND their windows games then just say 'sorry, this new machine won't run them anymore, here's some different ones if you want to play games. You are the parent and as such make the primary rules of reality for them, if you let them make the rules for you it's not worth it being a parent, is it?
Are you really asking a tech question or a social question? I'm reading both here. As to wine, etc, never use it, if I wanted to use windows apps I'd use windows, and no need so I don't. Same with games, big ole waste of time my opinion. Linux has some games near as I can tell, there appears to be some loaded here on this default redhat install I did, only even looked at one of them though, this "tux racer" but then I turned it off. Unlike most guys here I think they suck, but that's just my opinion, doesn't amount to anything. I'd rather build something, or if it was kids, give them real tools instead of playing games on the pooter.
Guess what I'm saying is don't let your kids buffalo you into something you don't want. Also not saying be a tyrant either, but you are the adult and parent, some decisions are your's to make, when they get older if they really want to run something else they'll come up with a way to make it happen, and it'll be at their knowledge level, interest level and skill level, ie, they'll scrounge their own box and goferit. That way it automagically gets done for you, you aren't the bad guy to them, and you eliminate a lot of current headaches and schisms.
I sees the problem...... heh heh heh
on
ALICE vs. ALICE
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--neogeezer will help out the lad here...
man, she was talking about like a pizza or bucket of chikken, she ain't appreciating this "hi! my name is wanda!" stuff you keep picking up and bringing home.
I'd be interested in a project like this IF it didn't require or recommend that you share or open up your system to riaa music videos or kiddie porn or warez. I am skeptical that at some time the goons are gonna be all over this and start homeland security busting people. As soon as they have like a trapdoor or whatever, or the technical ability and incentive to do so, I imagine it will happen. As in the mother of all hacks. Our society is rapidly closing in on "closing in". The tech and resources available to big corporations and the politics they control and the fascists is becoming overwhelming. Homeland security law when it gets signed is a carte blanche for widespread data mining and list making effort, and given how previous statist regimes act, this new one will be horrible. And given their track record for lying, planting evidence, etc, other assorted goodies, well, I sorta don't trust any of this stuff-not yet anyway. Every single day professional sysadmins get hacked, guys who's profession is to keep up on security and they still fail, I am under no illusions that I am 'better"at that then those fellows, I am not. And most people on these networks are *not* as well, no matter whatever illusions of elitness they are under. And I have no desire to share that which is not mine to share lawfully, or that I find repugnant and immoral. I understand the differences between anonymous freenet and an open directory/share of your mp3's whatnot, I know they are similar but different, and the alleged cryptography etc, just something like this is needed and cool, but the applications so far are 90% abusive by the users(I am rough guesstimating here of course), near as I can tell. I wish there was an "honest and ethical "way" to go about this, but so far not seeing it. Only private subscription networks that aren't anonymous and have accountability attached to them are trustworthy, the rest of them can have half the users being pederasts or pervos or cops or assorted music/movies goons, and they have already stated over and over agaqin that they ARE going to issue bogus files, trojans, traces, whatever snoopy and cracky stuff is at their disposal, so my thinking is-it ain't worth it. Not this way anyway, some other venue I'll give a *perhaps* if it presents itself.
"Just in time" is ok for non essentials, but for necessities like food it is a tad more prudent to have more than a meal or two's worth on hand. Try having a few weeks minimum in case of an emergency or disaster, etc, along with some water. It might not have ever happened to you, not yet, but it's happened to unmpteen zillion people in the planet's history that unforseen things occur and you might not be able to "stop by" and grab that daily suply. At least have some basics that could last. This is sincere advice, it's my primary avocation, this subject. Survival/preparedness issues. It applies to poor and rich, nerds to luddites, it doesn't matter, never forget you are a carbon based life form with "needs" as opposed to "wants".
We have here short term fresh foods, medium term storage "normal" grocery foods, and very long term stored food, in addition to our vegetable garden. and I've always had that-more or less-since my late teens,including times of no vehicle and either walking or taking ten speed every where. It's doable. Modern delivery and being able to use the internet for food is a good thing, and you can get excellent quality food delivered to your door, from major urban to out in the boonies, anyplace a fedex or ups or a UPS person can make it.
The deal is you can do both, it doesn't have to be either/or. You can do daily light shopping for fresh, but for sure don't neglect basics and have at least some weeks or a months worth-a realistic month-on hand at all times.
--here's one, google around for more, the great taliban escape. they left mostly the lower level goat herders behind for the TV melodrama show fun and games, most of the guantanamo "guests" are peons that were left behind. These are all random googles, for what it's worth
generally speaking, any search keyed to 9-11, prior knowledge, will get ya going.And do check out the audio, google for a transcript as well, he's been on both alex jones and metcalf's shows
-me, not in the trade, several friends and family members though, going back. ya, stuff is never as it seems
good luck, we'll let it ride now, the points are made all around
p.s. my check and pension mean nothing as well.....
"Here are some cold, hard, facts - totally free democracies are very easy targets for terrorism and hostile intelligence agencies."
Ok, swell, point of agreement.
Point one, in the US that's the deal we willingly trade some security for freedom. Don't mess with that, do NOT go beyond that point. That's an order, not a request, dig? You work for us, not the other way around, dig that too? If not, do some historical reading.
"You" are not our masters, nope, WE are your masters. Your check and pension mean less than nothing, understand? Less_than_nothing. We LIKE it like that, it's DESIGNED that way on purpose. YOU guys usurped that a long time ago at the point of a gun barrel, so no pompous "it's worse in the soviet union". Well ya, DUH, and we DON'T want it to get that bad. It's getting "worse like in the soviet union" one step at a time, step by step, the boiling frog principle. The deal is, a lot of folks just happen to NOT be frogs and can see what's happening. Don't talk down to them either. It insults them and it is insulting to yourself.
OK,I'm done lecturing now, we're back to being pals. Nothing personal, just needed to be said out loud. The following is just DATA.
POINT TWO, this one is REAL important.
For this "you guys" is generic soup agency volk.
WTC got attacked TWICE. Not ONCE but TWICE. The SNITCH "YOU GUYS" HAD INSIDE THE Al QUEDA CELL did NOT want to use a real truck bomb, when he saw the device was LIVE he freaked out, he thought it was a sting with a faux device. He was ORDERED to go ahead and set it, by some faction inside one of "you guys" orgs. This is called a CLUE.
POINT THREE
Yep, certainly not all of you guys are bad, we understand that and appreciate it, BUT, there's certainly some factions with a "not nice" agenda, aren't there? We WANT allies, we WANT to trust, but understand, a lot of "you" have been brainwashed or are ignoring high level- I mean HIGH level order giving upstairs god level- traitorus complicity in not only wtc 1 but wtc 2 and OKC/murragh and some others. This is REALITY, DEAL WITH IT.
POINT FOUR --go after the white guys in suits, start looking at the "put" options the days prior to 9-11 and the "connections" there. SERIOUSLY look there, see how far you get, who stops you, and remember those names. Look at the bosses who ordered agents in phoenix, minneapolis and a few places in florida to stand down. Look at the bosses of the number 2 guy at the DLI in monterey who shut him up. Follow the food chains, see where they go. Stop insisting that this snake has no head, or that the head consists of "only" radical muslims, they are tools, part of the body of the snake but not the snake's head. You are being USED. THINK the unthinkable because it's HAPPENING and it's IMPORTANT that it's stopped before "they" get too far with it. Or are you forgetting the 3 thousand high level taliban who got flown out of ashcanistan during the war "timeout"? WHO ORDERD THAT AND WHY? It HAPPENED. Find out who let in the al queda KLA albanians and who trained them and where, and where did they all go to, because it happened. Who had the JUICE to get them pulled off of state's narco terr list? Think about "things" like that. You KNOW screwy stuff is going on, you can't avoid it. You KNOW it's wrong.
The crime, motive, profit, opportunity-start from a clean slate and re look at things. You'll see some clues that can lead to more and more.
Good luck. I mean it.
link to a real audio, skip ahead to the second hour and listen to it, interview with david schippers on this subject. names dates events
--just a thought, but close out that credit card account and just get another one then with a different number. they won't be able to charge you then.
Conversely, take them to a local court, if they don't show up with a real human being you *win* handily, maybe the judge will award you significant damages and you can then charge THEM for their hassle.
I wonder why more folks don't do this to onerous software companies with eulas that change in midstream? Small claims court, magnified by a million people doing it? hmmm...
--nope, don't want 10 thou or 15 thou drives. What I WANT is a 7x thou drive BUILT with the same specs and bearings as the high speed SCSI drives but limited in rotational speed, ie, "over built for reliability". Slightly more expensive then the ide drives now, cheaper than the scsis. I'll swap bleeding edge expensive over clocked turbo-ized nitroed for reliable-stable-medium powered any day. I don't want it to break. I'll take an 80 gig reliable as heck over a 160 gig might work might not a year from now. I want it to last 20 years not two years or two months. I want built in quiet cooling somehow, too, for that matter.
--wish I knew more about this stuff. Looking at this and trying to get a handle on it. Seems to me the biggest problem is the "whole" key is used for verification, and it doesn't matter where it's stored as it's vulnerable in transit. Well, why can't the key be split into coming from several places? And if the parts don't match and make sense, the entire transaction gets flagged as bogus.
In other words no one place is trusted with the entire verification, one source or path might get compromised, but all of them simultaneously would take quite the effort. And perhaps if the keyholders were on a freenet sort of arrangement?
way back in the 70's is when I quit paying new prices for pre recorded media or full price for concerts. yep, just quit. Heard lotsa great music at more affordable prices-and more reasonable. hmm, example, once paid 50 CENTS to attend a ted nugent/animals concert. that was in the 60's,most of the time concerts were free or cheap like that, a dollar or two dollars. And most live concerts since then I got paid to work at or I just didn't go. I don't buy new full price cd's or vcr tapes now, but I will buy them used or discounted-even if I have the full price in my pocket I just won't pay it, it's principle now as much as economics. Currently I'm semi retired,work part time for cheap-but my expenses are almost nill too, so it doesn't matter a whole lot. and when I was making a lot more at full time, I still didn't purchase their 'products', I had stopped so long ago previous I saw no need to start back up.
Just met too many folks who got extremely rich via "entertainment" or gambling in the stock market or taking advantage of manipulating laws and semi governmental monopolies and the bogus tax "codes". They change mostly, and I don't support giving them any more money as much as possible, I don't think they are worth it. This is now getting into a philsophical discussion of the concept of greed and the biblical injunctions of "just weights and measures" and all kinza stuff beyond a short post and reply exchange, but that's sorta it for me. Once I determine someone or some "entity" as represented by a corporation or "band" or "sports team", etc, has gotten to be mega greedy-purely personal and subjective on my part, granted- I try my best to not support them. It's vaguely undefinable except for anyone personally-I wasn't trying to make anyone agree with me, just show an example of where someone-me- a long time ago made a decision and stuck to it, I put my money-or in this case withheld it-where my mouth was. I looked, saw "greed", seemed bogus to me, so stopped supporting it. For that matter I don't thing gates or ballmer are worth a penny more either, so they don't get any more of my loot, I'll keep it in my pocket. To each their own, keep enriching those people at your expense and effort, I choose not to past a certain point, which is my opinion only and neither right nor wrong, just my "taste" in society and economics.
Now to me, just from my perpsective on societal "worth" and who should get paid what, I think engineers and and scientists and technicians and farmers and loggers and miners and factory production workers should make more than they do-very broadly speaking-whereas "sales people" and "managers" and "brokers"and "entertainers" and "politicians" and "agents" and whatnot like that should make less. And this isn't a commie versus capitalist argument, it's my version of capitalism, I'll support those whom I think are worth my support, those I feel are less valuable I'll do my best to restrict how much they receive , as I see it as "work" and "employment" and I'd rather support "workers" who are actual producers of wealth as oposed to those just engaged in the "business" of other's wealth re arrangement, and especially the "business" side of entertainment. I do it voluntarily with my wallet, as opposed to lobbying for some government to do it.
Great hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy episode, the thinkers, the doers and the middlemen, check it out if you can find it. It explains it a lot better than I just did.
--I established my criteria on forwarding cash to "entertainments" a long time ago and have stuck to it. Once the media copy cost more than I made in one hour, I ceased purchasing new. This happened for me around the transition time from 8 tracks to cassettes. Once a "live" event cost more than two hours labor to me, I stopped attending. This is music, movies, sporting events as well. Saved me thousands now over the years. And by a long time I mean back when live concerts and sporting events where like 3$ to attend some places. IMO, there isn't a single one of them people worth more than that. entertainers and sports gods and their management packaging teams just aren't worth what they think they are worth. they make the money by people paying them, but to me they aren't worth it. this is just my personal opinion, anyone's mileage may vary, but really, some of those people being multi zillionaires? for that stuff, "entertainment'? It's just not that important. Entertainments are "amusing" they aren't necessities or all that valuable.
Now this is just my formula, won't work for anyone else, but I just got tired of seeing the waste and greed when I worked live music and a little film/television industry work.
"Artists" and "executives" and etc. I saw where huge amounts of the money was going, screw them greedy people.
As to the broadcasting-the netcasting-simple solution, it's called stop supporting them, if it was me with a station, I wouldn't play any stuff that required royalty payments to them. It would have to be free for use by order of the creator/copyright holder, or a different contract that was much more reasonable, but none of the full price riaa stuff.
using a cabinet router and some veneer sheets and contact cement is not that hard, a nice skill for anyone to get, and doing simple flat rectangular surfaces is easy. Pick out your laminate, spray case, spray laminate. stick on, roll or press, take the router to it to trim precisely. cool. I haven't done it to a computer case but I can't see it being that hard. Guess I'll try it now sometime thinking about it, next time I scrounge some scraps of laminate that are my taste in "cool" looking. That would seem to be the quickest easiest way to make a nice exterior.
I was looking at the miniitx page via a link from another thread here, saw a mod I HAVE thought previously I want to build, and that is a computer inside a briefcase. I don't want a laptop inside a case or bag, I want the case to be the laptop and have some storage for cd's etc inside. You open it up, there's the screen on the case facing you. simple, easy, you reach in, haul out the regular keyboard and mouse and get to work. The guy did a nice job,it's not exactly what I was thinking of but nice still, he used to me looking at it like an anvil-style case. I want a "laptop" or call it a portable like that, inside it's own case, full sized "normal" keyboard, decent screen, etc, and dual or quad batts! yep, it'll be heavy, I _don't_ care, 99% of the time it'll be sitting on a desk. I got a "normal" laptop already, just want a better one and don't got 3 grand to drop on one right now.
As to some sort of "natural" case, possibilities are pretty limitless, depends on what you want it to be functional as later. Just a piece of art work you can sit in front of, and have it not look like a computer? Still need the screen and keyboard and mouse. Hmm, I like house plants, put one in the base of the pot of a big potted tree sitting over in the corner, use wireless keyboard and mouse,hmm, don't even know if they have the wireless screens, but that would be cool if they did.
Make one look like one of those big bragger "coffee table" books people affect.
"Stealth" computer, you get a raggy old black and white tv, gut it, turn it into a sort of iMac computer, add a real lame broken rabbit ear set up with tinfoil on one of the ears, keep the keyboard and mouse hidden someplace else when you are gone. burlgar busts in while you are gone, they see a tv so cheap even the pawnshop wouldn't give them 1$ for it so they leave it. Full effect is set of vise grips on a stub for a lost knob, scratches, etc. Bonus points if it's an old style screen that was two arcs opposite two straight sides.
"Stealth" #2, monitor gets embedded flush into wall, box is buried in closet or in the wall as well, you hang 2$ walmart mirror over it when not in use.
--thanks for bringing this up, because it's true! First they assassinated him, this is just SO obvious to anyone who spends more than 60 seconds on it. Then, add in the new "conveniently easy" computerised pre-hacked voting scam machines- -SURPRISE, we have this huge flip flop in the elections, and even the dems are all now lining up to vote for anything this junta wants, they saw EXACTLY what happens to people who rock the boat and don't play ball with the ruling CFR lead junta. It's not democrats or republicans, it's one cfr faction sort of kinda at war with another. That D and R noise is melodrama for the rubes mostly, keep tossing them this bone of "choice". Now I'm not a D, didn't agree all with wellstone at all, but I can for sure see he got whacked. he wanted an investigation into 9-11, he smelled a rat, and righteously so. Can't have that, can we?
We're inside a junta now, and this junta controls the worlds largest military, and is building the most advanced technological surveillance and command and control apparti. There is not going to be any "overnight" martial law scenario-because it's already here! It's in place! People keep waiting for it to get "worse", it is, but it's DAILY in small steps, daily and steady.
--YES! finally, get all the $%^&8 latest released distros all on one disk, make them all work like a knoppix live cd, settle back, play with them, see which one really is better for "anyone you". Buy one disk, get all of it, done.
--all the stuff you want a robot to do is not that hard, where they get lame is in the travelling around part. The stickler appears to be so far in the primitive walking. Scratch that, they need wheels or tracks. Make it a lot cheaper. The guy who invented the segway had an ubermobility wheelchair thing. I saw it once at a medical trade show.(well, I think it was his, long time ago now) Turn that badboy into a robot. It could climb stairs, carry serious invalid weight. Start with something like that, trick it out. You could make it 7 feet tall at the top, now THAT might make someone stop and think if it was staring him in the face with lotsa e-vile red glowing blinkenlights and a voice coming out. I guess the little cute robot dragon is better for the very small japanese housing or say a small urban apartment here. For a more mainstream robot in the US it has to be able to negotiate stairs, PLUS grab the dang lawnmower and do the grass. Might as well get some work out of them for their electric bill.
heh
--dogs are great, got two. They are small,15 lb'ers, good for fires or intruders for notification purposes. 10 cents of pepper spray or straight ammonia in a squirt gun would knock them out, same as any rottweiler at 150 lbs. That's what I used to use when bicycling and jerks let their packs of mutts chase bikers and cars. Spray, howl, done. Got tired of breaking frame mount air pumps as a club. False security with a dog, useful for detection, not for "security" as regards other humans, not any determined human anyway.. You need a thinking human who's armed and awake for any real security, that and actual for-real barriers to entrance. I think of "guard" dogs as sensors and kamikaze slower-downers to the badguys.
-no security at your home if the bad guys can get in. No one is all that security conscious most places I've seen. Thick plexi windows and steel reinforced door jams and solid steel doors exist, hardly no one uses them. I've custom installed them for people, and have some friends who did it, but it was always after the fact of getting robbed.
And a lot of newer houses, sheesh, vinyl siding on the outside,then gyp board,then fiberglass insulation then drywall. Like, all you need to get in someone's new house built like that nowadays-and quietly- is a simple razor knife right through the wall, skip the doors and windows. It's a problem not advertised much in the press.
--there are many finance outfits that will include a solar or hybrid system directly into your mortgage now. BTW, it's neither new nor untested tech, it works perfectly normal and predictably. there are hundreds of thousands of homes in the US that have part or full solar power now. The largest financier I'm aware of is GMAC but I'm sure there's others. Spread out over a 20 year note is just not that bad I guess, say if you are already buying a -pick a number- a 150 grand house. Look for a 140 grand house and add the solar to it right off the bat. My guess is you could "struggle by" in the 140 grand house about the same as the 150.
Here's one of many ways to get it to be less costly, building your home, do two things, make it superinsulated,do some research on how to be more efficient in heating and cooling, save a buncha cash there monthly, and site it on land that is far away from utilities. All it needs to be is one mile away, usually enough to drop the per acre cost tremendously. In most cases the cheaper cost of the land will be reduced enough to make it a break even with closer in land when you add in the solar or whatever hybrid system you want. I'm a fan of the hybrid systems BTW whenever applicable.
We live on solar, works great, the best part is it's paid off, and works no matter what happens in the energy markets or with political shenanigans or like wars in the mideast whatnot., etc. No surprises. You can't get that with an electrico account, you are on a month to month, no guarantees it won't cost ten times as much ten years from now. During 2000 people all over the country saw their bills double, just like that, and they had to eat it then and ever since. No one would put up with that on their car note or house note, but for some reason they will put up with it when it comes to delivered electricity or city gas. It's a weird way to buy something if ya ask me, but to each their own, I did it for decades, glad I don't anymore, wish I had done this sooner. I don't like "renting" many things, and to me my energy if possible I want to own. Same as computers, wish I had bought my first one sooner. I'm not aware of any place joe residential home owner can get a ten year price guarantee carved in stone contract on delivered grid juice. If there is anyplace that offers such a contract I'd like to see it.
Solar and battery bank storage is a heckuva nifty UPS as well. Try days (maybe) of storage, even with little sun, that is still clean, instead of 15 minutes to an hour with a typical ups unit.
The other point on solar(or wind, hydro, steam unit, etc) is it doesn't in any manner require you to be either/or, this I notice is some sort of fantasy I read detractors say, that you have to be "OR" with this, you can have BOTH normal grid provided and solar if you choose. You can start small, work your way up as your interest and finances dictate if you want to go that route. You can technically start at one grand and do it. One grand is enough for a big panel or two, a charge controller, some batts and a small inverter. That's just an example. Just having enough for say one commonly used circuit in your home, say as the power and UPS unit, to run your home computer off of, is nifty.
With that said I'm unsure what they mean by a "solar battery" in the article. PV's are more correctly identified as a "generator" by function. Your battery storage is a separate deal, they are called "batteries". Maybe they are talking about those little combo cellphone batt/pv panel units. I don't know.
Journalists, gotta love 'em..... they try hard, forced to be tech experts in everything to write about it for general consumption, wind up being experts in not about much.
--my best knee jerk reaction guess is, they are waiting for the mandated hardware "security" applications to be codified into law, and for millions of these cpu's and devices to be shipped first. And seeing as how they have the leg up in advance on what these do to software(they are dictating the specifics now I bet), and what the requirements will be, they'll have the only "authorised and stamped officially 'secure' server" then.
The fix has been in for a long time, that's why they got the wrist slapping seemingly almost toothless "judgement". It won't be microsoft violating any terms of their "punishment", nope, they'll be cooperating with it and following "the law".
Slashdot Mirror
--wellstone got assassinated. It's reality. The remaining senators took this as a clue on playing ball. They went along with the "opposition" amendments that they knew wouldn't stand a chance anyway, then most of them lined up to grant dictatorial powers to the executive branch.
They not only are cowards, but they abrogated their responsibilites and turned over constitutional duties that aren't their's to give away. But it doesn't matter, the bulk of the US code is unconstitutional anyway. It's a joke. they took the commerce clause and the duty to promote the general welfare to heights not even imagined by the founders. And even with the delineated bill of rights, it hasn't mattered, they just do what they want to do. We have a government comprised of bribe takers, blackmail reciepients, and blackmailers. Murders and assination happen, and nothing is ever done about it. From waco to chandra levy to a president to senators to "friends of bill" to "friends of the bushes", people get whacked. It's a dictatorship with window dressing teevee melodrama "politics". In some nation that has "one" party, people can see this easily, but for some reason, when you have "two" parties, but the results are constantly the same as those "one" party nations we all like to point at, the residents of the "two party" nation keep insisting they have choice and freedom, more from fervently wishing it than actually enjoying it.
Expect the roadblocks, the military troops all over in the streets and patrolling schools and factories and other businesses, and the camps soon,too, because it's coming. Oh ya, and the "disappeards". First it will be only partly disappeard, we are seeing that now, to "military tribunals", but eventually the numbers will get high enough they'll just vanish and not even bother with any niceties like that.
There is just an overwhelming parallelism with past tyrannical regimes, it's impossible to ignore it now unless you go way out of your way and apply blinders, which most people are doing.
---here's the problem. Our system was setup for independents, not for a cabal of two almost identical private organizations to back and forth split the OWNERSHIP of the government. No place is it carved in stone that the dimwits and repugnants get the whole deal, BUT, by manipulating the system they have brainwashed people into voting for them well past any sort of usefulness right into harmful.. They control the mass media outlets, the broadcast and print media to a large extent. It's the party line, year after decade. It never ends.
The times we've had national debates that included third parties, the third parties did well in the polls and elections. Several election cycles in a row who knows what might happen. They don't do that anymore now, they realised that too many people would see that yes, there are alternatives. And that "waste your vote" nonsense both parties use to scare their brainwashed sheeps back into the herd. We have globalist_traitor_goon party A and B. They keep their little minions faked out "lookout, just you lookout now, don't you dare be wastin' your vote! If you don't vote for our goon, the other guy's goon will get in!". Well, duh. Result is we keep electing goons from the globalist_traitor_goon parties.
There's no checks and balances when a combo of the crips and bloods run the show. A criminal gang is a criminal gang, those retardo labels they give themselves are the biggest scam going, there's a pittance worth of difference over all in the long haul. More big government, more taxes,more intrusiveness, more laws that aren't constitutional, on and on. It won't end until people stop voting for those people, local to federal, until enough people see you get the same thing if you keep electing the same thing. And it hasn't mattered, back and forth, this goon is a prez, these goons run the house, the other goons run the senate, both of them pick tame goons for the courts, always distills to the essence of "goonishness".
It's too far, most people won't wake up until there's tanks in the streets, armed mercenaries on the corners with full auto rifles, "camps" of the work and re education and concentration variety, and the whole nine yards then they STILL won't realise that it's mostly their fault for voting for it and putting up wityh it as they went about their daily entertainments and amusements..
Bread and circuses works, divide and conqueor works, and mass psyops and propoganda and brainwashing work. Look how theyuse popular television, theyhave people seeing police routinely breaking the law and violating rights, they have tv shows with the cia engaged in domestic work, they constantly link anyone who espouses constituional mandates as somehow being "fringe" and a 'domestic terrorist", they link gun ownership-not misuse, just plain ownership-with being a drug dealer or worse. They are breainwashing the children in public schools, demonizing home schoolers, getting the doctors to find out who owns guns by asking little billy and sally "do your parents have guns? where are they, how many do they have?". Just all sorts of little chunks of creeping fascism and snitchisms.
People just must really enjoy this sort of thing, they really put up with it. Why I don't know, but they sure do.
..it's too bad walmart doesn't have these machines on the shelf, or at least one of them, one of the mid range models perhaps. The local walmart here you have a choice of one-an HP I believe-running xp. On the software shelf, xp. I don't see anything wrong with a low end budget computer. that's why these markets have terms like that, high end fulla blinkenlights and quad fans, down to these cheap systems. Something for everyone is a *good thing* methinks. Around here the few independent and white box shops offer almost the same low end config for around 600$ and up in a lot of cases and are getting it (when they sell them), mostly because people just don't know any better. Pickups they know, tractors they know, used or new 4 wheel buggys they know, computers, nope, microsoft=computer=it has to be expensive, and as such most people still don't have them. Just yesterday I saw one guy had a 486 bundle all used everything for 250$. I was incredulous, but I guess folks don't realize that out in the "heartland" there's not enough choice. That's the tradeoffs in a lot of matters. And it's hard to shop around and order online if you don't have a computer in the first place, yes?
I don't necessarily approve of walmart,it's business model in general, not really, but at least there's finally some effort to break the stranglehold of microsoft-only and expensive-only for computing.
--I second the nomination of the iCab browser as being just "good" overall. Wicked fast (in my purely anecdotal tests the fastest GUI browser I have ever used), small download, installs easily, updates easily, basically "just works" really well, plus all the features. Cookie control is outstanding and there are a lot more speedy menu choices available directly from the browser rather than opening a preferences dialog window separately, images load and not load, select just one image on a page, etc.. I've only used it on Mac classic, but tell ya what, it allowed me to listen to mp3 streaming audio plus browsing when nothing else would on my semi ancient 1400 powerbook, and runs on a real old one almost as well, an old 280c I setup for my girlfriend, that only has a moto 68k processor in it at I *think* 25 mghz.. I actually wish that it was ported to linux as well, I'd use it if it was the same functionality it has in mac over, say, mozilla.
--the last comdex I attended (worked at)was the year the combined brain power of the comdex event organizers (interface group then? I've forgotten now, too many shows)and the atlanta convention and visitor's bureau scheduled comdex the same time as the black students spring break, "freaknik". All of us native Atlanta workers KNEW it was gonna suck, and be terrible and a disaster, and so it was. Hysterically funny in retrospect. It's like all these mega brains and high paid people couldn't bingo to the sheer utter mess it would cause and do a little emergency tradeshow re routing and scheduling.
With that said, they sure used to have some nice boothbabes going way back. Not as good as the sporting goods SuperShow or the larger car shows, but still respectable.
if YOU want to move to linux on YOUR computer and let THEM use it go ahead. If they DEMAND their windows games then just say 'sorry, this new machine won't run them anymore, here's some different ones if you want to play games. You are the parent and as such make the primary rules of reality for them, if you let them make the rules for you it's not worth it being a parent, is it?
Are you really asking a tech question or a social question? I'm reading both here. As to wine, etc, never use it, if I wanted to use windows apps I'd use windows, and no need so I don't. Same with games, big ole waste of time my opinion. Linux has some games near as I can tell, there appears to be some loaded here on this default redhat install I did, only even looked at one of them though, this "tux racer" but then I turned it off. Unlike most guys here I think they suck, but that's just my opinion, doesn't amount to anything. I'd rather build something, or if it was kids, give them real tools instead of playing games on the pooter.
Guess what I'm saying is don't let your kids buffalo you into something you don't want. Also not saying be a tyrant either, but you are the adult and parent, some decisions are your's to make, when they get older if they really want to run something else they'll come up with a way to make it happen, and it'll be at their knowledge level, interest level and skill level, ie, they'll scrounge their own box and goferit. That way it automagically gets done for you, you aren't the bad guy to them, and you eliminate a lot of current headaches and schisms.
--neogeezer will help out the lad here...
man, she was talking about like a pizza or bucket of chikken, she ain't appreciating this "hi! my name is wanda!" stuff you keep picking up and bringing home.
trust me on this one
I'd be interested in a project like this IF it didn't require or recommend that you share or open up your system to riaa music videos or kiddie porn or warez. I am skeptical that at some time the goons are gonna be all over this and start homeland security busting people. As soon as they have like a trapdoor or whatever, or the technical ability and incentive to do so, I imagine it will happen. As in the mother of all hacks. Our society is rapidly closing in on "closing in". The tech and resources available to big corporations and the politics they control and the fascists is becoming overwhelming. Homeland security law when it gets signed is a carte blanche for widespread data mining and list making effort, and given how previous statist regimes act, this new one will be horrible. And given their track record for lying, planting evidence, etc, other assorted goodies, well, I sorta don't trust any of this stuff-not yet anyway. Every single day professional sysadmins get hacked, guys who's profession is to keep up on security and they still fail, I am under no illusions that I am 'better"at that then those fellows, I am not. And most people on these networks are *not* as well, no matter whatever illusions of elitness they are under. And I have no desire to share that which is not mine to share lawfully, or that I find repugnant and immoral. I understand the differences between anonymous freenet and an open directory/share of your mp3's whatnot, I know they are similar but different, and the alleged cryptography etc, just something like this is needed and cool, but the applications so far are 90% abusive by the users(I am rough guesstimating here of course), near as I can tell. I wish there was an "honest and ethical "way" to go about this, but so far not seeing it. Only private subscription networks that aren't anonymous and have accountability attached to them are trustworthy, the rest of them can have half the users being pederasts or pervos or cops or assorted music/movies goons, and they have already stated over and over agaqin that they ARE going to issue bogus files, trojans, traces, whatever snoopy and cracky stuff is at their disposal, so my thinking is-it ain't worth it. Not this way anyway, some other venue I'll give a *perhaps* if it presents itself.
"Just in time" is ok for non essentials, but for necessities like food it is a tad more prudent to have more than a meal or two's worth on hand. Try having a few weeks minimum in case of an emergency or disaster, etc, along with some water. It might not have ever happened to you, not yet, but it's happened to unmpteen zillion people in the planet's history that unforseen things occur and you might not be able to "stop by" and grab that daily suply. At least have some basics that could last. This is sincere advice, it's my primary avocation, this subject. Survival/preparedness issues. It applies to poor and rich, nerds to luddites, it doesn't matter, never forget you are a carbon based life form with "needs" as opposed to "wants".
We have here short term fresh foods, medium term storage "normal" grocery foods, and very long term stored food, in addition to our vegetable garden. and I've always had that-more or less-since my late teens,including times of no vehicle and either walking or taking ten speed every where. It's doable. Modern delivery and being able to use the internet for food is a good thing, and you can get excellent quality food delivered to your door, from major urban to out in the boonies, anyplace a fedex or ups or a UPS person can make it.
The deal is you can do both, it doesn't have to be either/or. You can do daily light shopping for fresh, but for sure don't neglect basics and have at least some weeks or a months worth-a realistic month-on hand at all times.
--here's one, google around for more, the great taliban escape. they left mostly the lower level goat herders behind for the TV melodrama show fun and games, most of the guantanamo "guests" are peons that were left behind.
m
.9 beta
C S/ OK/wtcbomb.html
These are all random googles, for what it's worth
http://terror-threats.netfirms.com/article11.ht
wtc version
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITI
generally speaking, any search keyed to 9-11, prior knowledge, will get ya going.And do check out the audio, google for a transcript as well, he's been on both alex jones and metcalf's shows
-me, not in the trade, several friends and family members though, going back. ya, stuff is never as it seems
good luck, we'll let it ride now, the points are made all around
p.s. my check and pension mean nothing as well.....
--appreciate the tip you and the previous and following had. I'll look for some.
"Here are some cold, hard, facts - totally free democracies are very easy targets for terrorism and hostile intelligence agencies."
Ok, swell, point of agreement.
Point one, in the US that's the deal we willingly trade some security for freedom. Don't mess with that, do NOT go beyond that point. That's an order, not a request, dig? You work for us, not the other way around, dig that too? If not, do some historical reading.
"You" are not our masters, nope, WE are your masters. Your check and pension mean less than nothing, understand? Less_than_nothing. We LIKE it like that, it's DESIGNED that way on purpose. YOU guys usurped that a long time ago at the point of a gun barrel, so no pompous "it's worse in the soviet union". Well ya, DUH, and we DON'T want it to get that bad. It's getting "worse like in the soviet union" one step at a time, step by step, the boiling frog principle. The deal is, a lot of folks just happen to NOT be frogs and can see what's happening. Don't talk down to them either. It insults them and it is insulting to yourself.
OK,I'm done lecturing now, we're back to being pals. Nothing personal, just needed to be said out loud. The following is just DATA.
POINT TWO, this one is REAL important.
For this "you guys" is generic soup agency volk.
WTC got attacked TWICE. Not ONCE but TWICE. The SNITCH "YOU GUYS" HAD INSIDE THE Al QUEDA CELL did NOT want to use a real truck bomb, when he saw the device was LIVE he freaked out, he thought it was a sting with a faux device. He was ORDERED to go ahead and set it, by some faction inside one of "you guys" orgs. This is called a CLUE.
POINT THREE
Yep, certainly not all of you guys are bad, we understand that and appreciate it, BUT, there's certainly some factions with a "not nice" agenda, aren't there? We WANT allies, we WANT to trust, but understand, a lot of "you" have been brainwashed or are ignoring high level- I mean HIGH level order giving upstairs god level- traitorus complicity in not only wtc 1 but wtc 2 and OKC/murragh and some others. This is REALITY, DEAL WITH IT.
POINT FOUR --go after the white guys in suits, start looking at the "put" options the days prior to 9-11 and the "connections" there. SERIOUSLY look there, see how far you get, who stops you, and remember those names. Look at the bosses who ordered agents in phoenix, minneapolis and a few places in florida to stand down. Look at the bosses of the number 2 guy at the DLI in monterey who shut him up. Follow the food chains, see where they go. Stop insisting that this snake has no head, or that the head consists of "only" radical muslims, they are tools, part of the body of the snake but not the snake's head. You are being USED. THINK the unthinkable because it's HAPPENING and it's IMPORTANT that it's stopped before "they" get too far with it. Or are you forgetting the 3 thousand high level taliban who got flown out of ashcanistan during the war "timeout"? WHO ORDERD THAT AND WHY? It HAPPENED. Find out who let in the al queda KLA albanians and who trained them and where, and where did they all go to, because it happened. Who had the JUICE to get them pulled off of state's narco terr list? Think about "things" like that. You KNOW screwy stuff is going on, you can't avoid it. You KNOW it's wrong.
The crime, motive, profit, opportunity-start from a clean slate and re look at things. You'll see some clues that can lead to more and more.
Good luck. I mean it.
link to a real audio, skip ahead to the second hour and listen to it, interview with david schippers on this subject. names dates events
http://arc2.m2ktalk.com/alexam/101001.ram
--just a thought, but close out that credit card account and just get another one then with a different number. they won't be able to charge you then.
Conversely, take them to a local court, if they don't show up with a real human being you *win* handily, maybe the judge will award you significant damages and you can then charge THEM for their hassle.
I wonder why more folks don't do this to onerous software companies with eulas that change in midstream? Small claims court, magnified by a million people doing it? hmmm...
--nope, don't want 10 thou or 15 thou drives. What I WANT is a 7x thou drive BUILT with the same specs and bearings as the high speed SCSI drives but limited in rotational speed, ie, "over built for reliability". Slightly more expensive then the ide drives now, cheaper than the scsis. I'll swap bleeding edge expensive over clocked turbo-ized nitroed for reliable-stable-medium powered any day. I don't want it to break. I'll take an 80 gig reliable as heck over a 160 gig might work might not a year from now. I want it to last 20 years not two years or two months. I want built in quiet cooling somehow, too, for that matter.
Are there any such drives out there now?
--the "telephone cleaners and tele-evangelists"
--wish I knew more about this stuff. Looking at this and trying to get a handle on it. Seems to me the biggest problem is the "whole" key is used for verification, and it doesn't matter where it's stored as it's vulnerable in transit. Well, why can't the key be split into coming from several places? And if the parts don't match and make sense, the entire transaction gets flagged as bogus.
In other words no one place is trusted with the entire verification, one source or path might get compromised, but all of them simultaneously would take quite the effort. And perhaps if the keyholders were on a freenet sort of arrangement?
--hey thanks for that link! That's a NICE job with that haliburton case! Kinda sorta what I was thinking of.
way back in the 70's is when I quit paying new prices for pre recorded media or full price for concerts. yep, just quit. Heard lotsa great music at more affordable prices-and more reasonable. hmm, example, once paid 50 CENTS to attend a ted nugent/animals concert. that was in the 60's,most of the time concerts were free or cheap like that, a dollar or two dollars. And most live concerts since then I got paid to work at or I just didn't go. I don't buy new full price cd's or vcr tapes now, but I will buy them used or discounted-even if I have the full price in my pocket I just won't pay it, it's principle now as much as economics. Currently I'm semi retired,work part time for cheap-but my expenses are almost nill too, so it doesn't matter a whole lot. and when I was making a lot more at full time, I still didn't purchase their 'products', I had stopped so long ago previous I saw no need to start back up.
Just met too many folks who got extremely rich via "entertainment" or gambling in the stock market or taking advantage of manipulating laws and semi governmental monopolies and the bogus tax "codes". They change mostly, and I don't support giving them any more money as much as possible, I don't think they are worth it. This is now getting into a philsophical discussion of the concept of greed and the biblical injunctions of "just weights and measures" and all kinza stuff beyond a short post and reply exchange, but that's sorta it for me. Once I determine someone or some "entity" as represented by a corporation or "band" or "sports team", etc, has gotten to be mega greedy-purely personal and subjective on my part, granted- I try my best to not support them. It's vaguely undefinable except for anyone personally-I wasn't trying to make anyone agree with me, just show an example of where someone-me- a long time ago made a decision and stuck to it, I put my money-or in this case withheld it-where my mouth was. I looked, saw "greed", seemed bogus to me, so stopped supporting it. For that matter I don't thing gates or ballmer are worth a penny more either, so they don't get any more of my loot, I'll keep it in my pocket. To each their own, keep enriching those people at your expense and effort, I choose not to past a certain point, which is my opinion only and neither right nor wrong, just my "taste" in society and economics.
Now to me, just from my perpsective on societal "worth" and who should get paid what, I think engineers and and scientists and technicians and farmers and loggers and miners and factory production workers should make more than they do-very broadly speaking-whereas "sales people" and "managers" and "brokers"and "entertainers" and "politicians" and "agents" and whatnot like that should make less. And this isn't a commie versus capitalist argument, it's my version of capitalism, I'll support those whom I think are worth my support, those I feel are less valuable I'll do my best to restrict how much they receive , as I see it as "work" and "employment" and I'd rather support "workers" who are actual producers of wealth as oposed to those just engaged in the "business" of other's wealth re arrangement, and especially the "business" side of entertainment. I do it voluntarily with my wallet, as opposed to lobbying for some government to do it.
Great hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy episode, the thinkers, the doers and the middlemen, check it out if you can find it. It explains it a lot better than I just did.
--I established my criteria on forwarding cash to "entertainments" a long time ago and have stuck to it. Once the media copy cost more than I made in one hour, I ceased purchasing new. This happened for me around the transition time from 8 tracks to cassettes. Once a "live" event cost more than two hours labor to me, I stopped attending. This is music, movies, sporting events as well. Saved me thousands now over the years. And by a long time I mean back when live concerts and sporting events where like 3$ to attend some places. IMO, there isn't a single one of them people worth more than that. entertainers and sports gods and their management packaging teams just aren't worth what they think they are worth. they make the money by people paying them, but to me they aren't worth it. this is just my personal opinion, anyone's mileage may vary, but really, some of those people being multi zillionaires? for that stuff, "entertainment'? It's just not that important. Entertainments are "amusing" they aren't necessities or all that valuable.
Now this is just my formula, won't work for anyone else, but I just got tired of seeing the waste and greed when I worked live music and a little film/television industry work.
"Artists" and "executives" and etc. I saw where huge amounts of the money was going, screw them greedy people.
As to the broadcasting-the netcasting-simple solution, it's called stop supporting them, if it was me with a station, I wouldn't play any stuff that required royalty payments to them. It would have to be free for use by order of the creator/copyright holder, or a different contract that was much more reasonable, but none of the full price riaa stuff.
using a cabinet router and some veneer sheets and contact cement is not that hard, a nice skill for anyone to get, and doing simple flat rectangular surfaces is easy. Pick out your laminate, spray case, spray laminate. stick on, roll or press, take the router to it to trim precisely. cool. I haven't done it to a computer case but I can't see it being that hard. Guess I'll try it now sometime thinking about it, next time I scrounge some scraps of laminate that are my taste in "cool" looking. That would seem to be the quickest easiest way to make a nice exterior.
I was looking at the miniitx page via a link from another thread here, saw a mod I HAVE thought previously I want to build, and that is a computer inside a briefcase. I don't want a laptop inside a case or bag, I want the case to be the laptop and have some storage for cd's etc inside. You open it up, there's the screen on the case facing you. simple, easy, you reach in, haul out the regular keyboard and mouse and get to work. The guy did a nice job,it's not exactly what I was thinking of but nice still, he used to me looking at it like an anvil-style case. I want a "laptop" or call it a portable like that, inside it's own case, full sized "normal" keyboard, decent screen, etc, and dual or quad batts! yep, it'll be heavy, I _don't_ care, 99% of the time it'll be sitting on a desk. I got a "normal" laptop already, just want a better one and don't got 3 grand to drop on one right now.
As to some sort of "natural" case, possibilities are pretty limitless, depends on what you want it to be functional as later. Just a piece of art work you can sit in front of, and have it not look like a computer? Still need the screen and keyboard and mouse. Hmm, I like house plants, put one in the base of the pot of a big potted tree sitting over in the corner, use wireless keyboard and mouse,hmm, don't even know if they have the wireless screens, but that would be cool if they did.
Make one look like one of those big bragger "coffee table" books people affect.
"Stealth" computer, you get a raggy old black and white tv, gut it, turn it into a sort of iMac computer, add a real lame broken rabbit ear set up with tinfoil on one of the ears, keep the keyboard and mouse hidden someplace else when you are gone. burlgar busts in while you are gone, they see a tv so cheap even the pawnshop wouldn't give them 1$ for it so they leave it. Full effect is set of vise grips on a stub for a lost knob, scratches, etc. Bonus points if it's an old style screen that was two arcs opposite two straight sides.
"Stealth" #2, monitor gets embedded flush into wall, box is buried in closet or in the wall as well, you hang 2$ walmart mirror over it when not in use.
---next guy---
--thanks for bringing this up, because it's true! First they assassinated him, this is just SO obvious to anyone who spends more than 60 seconds on it. Then, add in the new "conveniently easy" computerised pre-hacked voting scam machines- -SURPRISE, we have this huge flip flop in the elections, and even the dems are all now lining up to vote for anything this junta wants, they saw EXACTLY what happens to people who rock the boat and don't play ball with the ruling CFR lead junta. It's not democrats or republicans, it's one cfr faction sort of kinda at war with another. That D and R noise is melodrama for the rubes mostly, keep tossing them this bone of "choice". Now I'm not a D, didn't agree all with wellstone at all, but I can for sure see he got whacked. he wanted an investigation into 9-11, he smelled a rat, and righteously so. Can't have that, can we?
We're inside a junta now, and this junta controls the worlds largest military, and is building the most advanced technological surveillance and command and control apparti. There is not going to be any "overnight" martial law scenario-because it's already here! It's in place! People keep waiting for it to get "worse", it is, but it's DAILY in small steps, daily and steady.
--YES! finally, get all the $%^&8 latest released distros all on one disk, make them all work like a knoppix live cd, settle back, play with them, see which one really is better for "anyone you". Buy one disk, get all of it, done.
--all the stuff you want a robot to do is not that hard, where they get lame is in the travelling around part. The stickler appears to be so far in the primitive walking. Scratch that, they need wheels or tracks. Make it a lot cheaper. The guy who invented the segway had an ubermobility wheelchair thing. I saw it once at a medical trade show.(well, I think it was his, long time ago now) Turn that badboy into a robot. It could climb stairs, carry serious invalid weight. Start with something like that, trick it out. You could make it 7 feet tall at the top, now THAT might make someone stop and think if it was staring him in the face with lotsa e-vile red glowing blinkenlights and a voice coming out. I guess the little cute robot dragon is better for the very small japanese housing or say a small urban apartment here. For a more mainstream robot in the US it has to be able to negotiate stairs, PLUS grab the dang lawnmower and do the grass. Might as well get some work out of them for their electric bill.
heh
--dogs are great, got two. They are small,15 lb'ers, good for fires or intruders for notification purposes. 10 cents of pepper spray or straight ammonia in a squirt gun would knock them out, same as any rottweiler at 150 lbs. That's what I used to use when bicycling and jerks let their packs of mutts chase bikers and cars. Spray, howl, done. Got tired of breaking frame mount air pumps as a club. False security with a dog, useful for detection, not for "security" as regards other humans, not any determined human anyway.. You need a thinking human who's armed and awake for any real security, that and actual for-real barriers to entrance. I think of "guard" dogs as sensors and kamikaze slower-downers to the badguys.
-no security at your home if the bad guys can get in. No one is all that security conscious most places I've seen. Thick plexi windows and steel reinforced door jams and solid steel doors exist, hardly no one uses them. I've custom installed them for people, and have some friends who did it, but it was always after the fact of getting robbed.
And a lot of newer houses, sheesh, vinyl siding on the outside,then gyp board,then fiberglass insulation then drywall. Like, all you need to get in someone's new house built like that nowadays-and quietly- is a simple razor knife right through the wall, skip the doors and windows. It's a problem not advertised much in the press.
--there are many finance outfits that will include a solar or hybrid system directly into your mortgage now. BTW, it's neither new nor untested tech, it works perfectly normal and predictably. there are hundreds of thousands of homes in the US that have part or full solar power now. The largest financier I'm aware of is GMAC but I'm sure there's others. Spread out over a 20 year note is just not that bad I guess, say if you are already buying a -pick a number- a 150 grand house. Look for a 140 grand house and add the solar to it right off the bat. My guess is you could "struggle by" in the 140 grand house about the same as the 150.
Here's one of many ways to get it to be less costly, building your home, do two things, make it superinsulated,do some research on how to be more efficient in heating and cooling, save a buncha cash there monthly, and site it on land that is far away from utilities. All it needs to be is one mile away, usually enough to drop the per acre cost tremendously. In most cases the cheaper cost of the land will be reduced enough to make it a break even with closer in land when you add in the solar or whatever hybrid system you want. I'm a fan of the hybrid systems BTW whenever applicable.
We live on solar, works great, the best part is it's paid off, and works no matter what happens in the energy markets or with political shenanigans or like wars in the mideast whatnot., etc. No surprises. You can't get that with an electrico account, you are on a month to month, no guarantees it won't cost ten times as much ten years from now. During 2000 people all over the country saw their bills double, just like that, and they had to eat it then and ever since. No one would put up with that on their car note or house note, but for some reason they will put up with it when it comes to delivered electricity or city gas. It's a weird way to buy something if ya ask me, but to each their own, I did it for decades, glad I don't anymore, wish I had done this sooner. I don't like "renting" many things, and to me my energy if possible I want to own. Same as computers, wish I had bought my first one sooner. I'm not aware of any place joe residential home owner can get a ten year price guarantee carved in stone contract on delivered grid juice. If there is anyplace that offers such a contract I'd like to see it.
Solar and battery bank storage is a heckuva nifty UPS as well. Try days (maybe) of storage, even with little sun, that is still clean, instead of 15 minutes to an hour with a typical ups unit.
The other point on solar(or wind, hydro, steam unit, etc) is it doesn't in any manner require you to be either/or, this I notice is some sort of fantasy I read detractors say, that you have to be "OR" with this, you can have BOTH normal grid provided and solar if you choose. You can start small, work your way up as your interest and finances dictate if you want to go that route. You can technically start at one grand and do it. One grand is enough for a big panel or two, a charge controller, some batts and a small inverter. That's just an example. Just having enough for say one commonly used circuit in your home, say as the power and UPS unit, to run your home computer off of, is nifty.
With that said I'm unsure what they mean by a "solar battery" in the article. PV's are more correctly identified as a "generator" by function. Your battery storage is a separate deal, they are called "batteries". Maybe they are talking about those little combo cellphone batt/pv panel units. I don't know.
Journalists, gotta love 'em..... they try hard, forced to be tech experts in everything to write about it for general consumption, wind up being experts in not about much.
--my best knee jerk reaction guess is, they are waiting for the mandated hardware "security" applications to be codified into law, and for millions of these cpu's and devices to be shipped first. And seeing as how they have the leg up in advance on what these do to software(they are dictating the specifics now I bet), and what the requirements will be, they'll have the only "authorised and stamped officially 'secure' server" then.
The fix has been in for a long time, that's why they got the wrist slapping seemingly almost toothless "judgement". It won't be microsoft violating any terms of their "punishment", nope, they'll be cooperating with it and following "the law".