I've always disliked the term "cord-cutting", because it presumes that having a cable TV subscription is the normal default state of affairs, and that it's some weird deviance from that norm to not buy a service that you would normally not have if you didn't go out of your way to buy it.
Well, yes..it IS the norm. It has been for a long time, but I would concede that things are changing.
I'm a bit older, but I've never known a single person in my life, that did not have TV and was not connected to cable. I have cut the cord, did it a year or so ago, I stream Netflix, Amazon Prime and Playstation VUE...I also have Tivo's set up for OTA local TV.
I have a friend that does SlingTV and Netflix, etc.
It is becoming more normal to only stream, but I would posit that you are in a very slim minority that have never had TV and were never connected in any fashion.
Cutters must be in cities with Google Fiber or some other non-mega-cartel(s) controlling internet access.
I actually have 3 different providers - Verizon, RCN, and Comcast.
For all three of them, there is no way to get a decent connection of at least 50Mb down without bundling in cable. It is actually cheaper to buy the bundle with 50MB down than just internet itself.
Hmm...well, you might look into getting a business connection, takes no real proof of anything, and you can get a good connection, low level SLA and no ports blocked or throttling.
I've been on my plan for years with Cox cable and pay $69/mo.
Also, why would you need 50 Mb down? HD tv doesn't require that much, you can stream quite readily with multiple connections going on (multiple tvs in home on different channels at same time) for 20Mb range.....
Actually, all I want is an RDP session into my server or server cluster to get performance. I can travel with a light, low power laptop that just has to render the RDP session. This is not something I'd recommend for gaming, but it very useful for actual high performance computing applications.
Hmm.....
If you really wanted to work on performance in the server room, you'd be ssh'ing into Linux boxes, instead of RDP'ing into windows boxes....
;)
Aren't "high performance computing applications" and windows mutually exclusive concepts?
Yeah, the megapixels aren't the concern...call me when they figure out how to get high quality big glass on a cell phone to work properly and efficiently as a workflow....
The laws of physics haven't changed appreciably that I know of, have they...?
Is there a difference between the right to freedom of speech ( which is to say the right to say what you want without punishment or restriction).
and
The right to use public broadcast equipment like the internet to exercise that right.
Depends on the country in question.
In the US, they way it is supposed to work is...that the government does NOT grant you rights, you are born with them.
The US constitution is there not to grant you rights, but to enumerate the limited powers and responsibilities for the federal govt. It is stated aside from these, that most of the law and rules comes from the states and local governments.
And basically, most any new thing man figures how to do, is by your BORN (or God given, if you believe that way) right inherently, unless it is regulated or banned by law.
So, the internet, it was a new thing and you inherently have the right to use it as you please for any speech or expression that isn't illegal (kiddie pr0n for example).....this comes as a benefit of being born a human, it is not granted to you by the government.
So human rights could be rolled back to a 1989 level where every person did not carry a powerful encryption device.
It started when they took everyones guns away...and now, the govt will start to progress a bit further to take more freedoms/rights away from the populace.
It's more like a one party state than any viable democracy you can think of.
Were you complaining about this topic just as heatedly when on Obama's first term, the Dems had the presidency and majority in both house and were ramrodding Obamacare (we have to pass it before we know what's in it) through the system with no ability to check by the other party?
You do a quick food shop every other day or so while coming home from work. A bike basket carries a couple bags of groceries, enough to eat well for a few days. Unless you're a Mormon, no sense in hoarding food.
That just would not work for me.
I often run to Costco once a week or every other week, I like to buy in bulk so I can save some $$, I have freezers and the means to store and use in bulk.
I'm trying to figure how you do anything larger than amounts to feed a squirrel or one person?
I mean, I have friends over....I don't see myself on a bike, toting a 12-15lb brisket, a 40b bag of mesquite wood (from different stores mind you), and a few racks of ribs for the smoker, not to mention the fixings for slaw, baked beans and potato salad...how do you do that on a bike in summer without killing yourself of heat stroke?
What about as simple crawfish boil....how do I get 2 or more 40b bags of crawfish home on a bicycle?
Let's say its a pool party at a friend's house, how do I pack up and bring my dishes there, along with family, etc.?
No, what I speak of, aren't just occasionally occurrences, I tend to like to cook, can, and enjoy parties with my friends. I don't have time to run out and grocery shop 3-4 times a week, I have a day, usually Fri or Sat after looking at the grocery store ads, I hit the various stores to get the best of what's on sale, and cook that for the week. I hit Costco and get all the staples or the BIG items for the grill/weekend.
The bicycle thing may work for your lifestyle, but at least in my neck of the woods, that just isn't going to fly for the lifestyle most folks here live.
How do you drop your boat in the water to go fishing with that bicycle each weekend?
But then you'd have less value to society. As long as we're capitalistic-focused, your value in society is in what you produce and what you consume. Do less of either, and you're a less valuable person to society.
Not sure why I'd give a damn about how valuable I am to "society"?
I don't now, why would I give a thought if I didn't have to work?
Only if you have plenty of activities and social time with people - real people; not social media pseudo-relationships.
I see it all the time. People retire or lose jobs for whatever reason and they fall apart - having plenty of money in the bank makes no difference. They become depressed and drunks. All the expensive anti-depressants in the World don't make up for being lonely. (Depression is a symptom; not an illness)
The people who have plenty of outside meaningful (to them) activities with other people do well.
Well, I think there is a balance....
Don't get me wrong, having a good group of REAL friends, ones you actually get together with in meatspace are important.
However, I don't know if it is a recent thing, or maybe just a problem with some people, but you should also not be afraid of being alone for extended periods of time. Having some time alone and being able to enjoy it is important too.
Solitude is not the worst thing in the world, it allows you to contemplate things in your life, to get your thoughts together and enjoy pure 101% 'me' time, you know?
I think this balance is just as important, and I don't understand why some people can't deal with any form of solitude for greater than 30 min???
To me, it is inherit to my personality that I enjoy periods of solitude, but is it perhaps a learned behavior?
It is great to have a healthy group of folks around, you...I'm blessed to have a large number of real friends, people I trust with keys to my house...but you shouldn't need to be around someone 25/7/365.
....that your start up company could get big enough to be bought at a hefty fee by one of the big guys....
What would you rather do? Win the "good" fight, or work a few years, sell for a few billion dollars and be able to retire young and never have to work again?
I know which lines I'd be in....I'd be in the LOOOooooongggg line.
Who do you think was most impacted by Obamacare? The people who were already getting insurance via their employers? Or, you know, the self employed, and others who previously had to buy insurance individually but now had the option of using the Obamacare exchanges.
Obamacare did NOT help the self-employed, if anything it hurt MANY of us.
I previously was able to get insurance with a "high deductible" policy, I think it was maybe $1200 a few years back, and only cost me maybe $75-$100 a month or so. With the "high deductible" coverage I was also qualified to set myself up a HSA (Health savings Account) and fund it to a max of over $3K.
The coverage was quite comprehensive, had low cost meds etc.
After Obama care? I can't afford that type policy, as that it barely exhists, and has been deteriorating each year. I had to drop down in coverage a bit to afford this last one....I pay about $780/mo, for a $1700 deductible....covers not quite as many meds, office fees have increased on what I have to pay for co-pay....but the one saving thing is I can still max out my HSA year after year (unlike FSA's, mine isn't used or lose it, I roll it over every year).
But not only is it more $$...fewer of my Drs on on the network. There are fewer choices in plans....those exchanges don't do fuck-all for anyone making over poverty level...they just aren't there, and it is getting worse.
Obama care was one of the worst things I"ve ever seen happen to healthcare for middle to upper middle income people.....the quicker it is done away with, the better.
IMHO, the ONLY positive thing the federal govt could do for health care, is make it so that medical insurance can be sold over state lines, like car insurance is....let the market back in and make things competitive again.
The only positive things Obamacare did, was remove the pre-existing condition parts that could exclude you from any insurance. That was a positive....but hell, even back before, I had some preexisting conditions, and it didn't make my medical insurance NEARLY as $$$$ as it currently is.....
Problem is that an entirely government system might actually be cheaper. It wouldn't need parallel systems like Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA.
Hmm...well, looking at the federal govt's track record for efficiency, cost savings, and high standard of care with those existing programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA)....I don't think they've proved themselves qualified to handle the care for ALL of us yet.
Horrible costs, horrible management and poor standard of care.....that's all they've shown us they can do to date in the US.
What's the big deal about going to the ER if it's cheap and relatively well-run
Actually one of the main problems these days, is the ER is FILLED to the brim each day, with illegal immigrants that use it as their form of primary care.
How often, post-AHCA, do people buy insurance directly from the insurer in such a form that the insurer can actually benefit from having this level of information about their potential customer?
You do if you're self employed, and there are quite a few of us out there, not everyone works W2 jobs my friend.
Not only that, it has the amazing innovation of an oversized button on the steering wheel labeled "get out of the way you f*&king idiot!" to communicate with pedestrians.
I have a backup system for that on my cars.....it's a bumper sticker:
And if foreign pilots want to work with an American carrier, an H1-B would be one of the ways.
Hmm...have you heard about all the foreign plane crashes past few years?
From everything I've read, at many foreign airports, especially where H1-B's would come from....they are a chaotic mess, not something we'd want to import "here"....that and language barrier between them and control towers.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, yes..it IS the norm. It has been for a long time, but I would concede that things are changing.
I'm a bit older, but I've never known a single person in my life, that did not have TV and was not connected to cable. I have cut the cord, did it a year or so ago, I stream Netflix, Amazon Prime and Playstation VUE...I also have Tivo's set up for OTA local TV.
I have a friend that does SlingTV and Netflix, etc.
It is becoming more normal to only stream, but I would posit that you are in a very slim minority that have never had TV and were never connected in any fashion.
Hmm...well, you might look into getting a business connection, takes no real proof of anything, and you can get a good connection, low level SLA and no ports blocked or throttling.
I've been on my plan for years with Cox cable and pay $69/mo.
Also, why would you need 50 Mb down? HD tv doesn't require that much, you can stream quite readily with multiple connections going on (multiple tvs in home on different channels at same time) for 20Mb range.....
Hmm.....
If you really wanted to work on performance in the server room, you'd be ssh'ing into Linux boxes, instead of RDP'ing into windows boxes....
Aren't "high performance computing applications" and windows mutually exclusive concepts?
The laws of physics haven't changed appreciably that I know of, have they...?
Depends on the country in question.
In the US, they way it is supposed to work is...that the government does NOT grant you rights, you are born with them.
The US constitution is there not to grant you rights, but to enumerate the limited powers and responsibilities for the federal govt. It is stated aside from these, that most of the law and rules comes from the states and local governments.
And basically, most any new thing man figures how to do, is by your BORN (or God given, if you believe that way) right inherently, unless it is regulated or banned by law.
So, the internet, it was a new thing and you inherently have the right to use it as you please for any speech or expression that isn't illegal (kiddie pr0n for example).....this comes as a benefit of being born a human, it is not granted to you by the government.
It started when they took everyones guns away...and now, the govt will start to progress a bit further to take more freedoms/rights away from the populace.
I mean, is the number of people that would bother doing this statistically significant?
Were you complaining about this topic just as heatedly when on Obama's first term, the Dems had the presidency and majority in both house and were ramrodding Obamacare (we have to pass it before we know what's in it) through the system with no ability to check by the other party?
I"m just wanting to know if you're being fair....
That just would not work for me.
I often run to Costco once a week or every other week, I like to buy in bulk so I can save some $$, I have freezers and the means to store and use in bulk.
I'm trying to figure how you do anything larger than amounts to feed a squirrel or one person?
I mean, I have friends over....I don't see myself on a bike, toting a 12-15lb brisket, a 40b bag of mesquite wood (from different stores mind you), and a few racks of ribs for the smoker, not to mention the fixings for slaw, baked beans and potato salad...how do you do that on a bike in summer without killing yourself of heat stroke?
What about as simple crawfish boil....how do I get 2 or more 40b bags of crawfish home on a bicycle?
Let's say its a pool party at a friend's house, how do I pack up and bring my dishes there, along with family, etc.?
No, what I speak of, aren't just occasionally occurrences, I tend to like to cook, can, and enjoy parties with my friends. I don't have time to run out and grocery shop 3-4 times a week, I have a day, usually Fri or Sat after looking at the grocery store ads, I hit the various stores to get the best of what's on sale, and cook that for the week. I hit Costco and get all the staples or the BIG items for the grill/weekend.
The bicycle thing may work for your lifestyle, but at least in my neck of the woods, that just isn't going to fly for the lifestyle most folks here live.
How do you drop your boat in the water to go fishing with that bicycle each weekend?
Can you use "ls" instead of dir?
I'm trying to figure out in what universe would a use case be made for replacing native, tried and true shells for Linux with some POS from MS?
Not sure why I'd give a damn about how valuable I am to "society"?
I don't now, why would I give a thought if I didn't have to work?
Well, I think there is a balance....
Don't get me wrong, having a good group of REAL friends, ones you actually get together with in meatspace are important.
However, I don't know if it is a recent thing, or maybe just a problem with some people, but you should also not be afraid of being alone for extended periods of time. Having some time alone and being able to enjoy it is important too.
Solitude is not the worst thing in the world, it allows you to contemplate things in your life, to get your thoughts together and enjoy pure 101% 'me' time, you know?
I think this balance is just as important, and I don't understand why some people can't deal with any form of solitude for greater than 30 min???
To me, it is inherit to my personality that I enjoy periods of solitude, but is it perhaps a learned behavior?
It is great to have a healthy group of folks around, you...I'm blessed to have a large number of real friends, people I trust with keys to my house...but you shouldn't need to be around someone 25/7/365.
Learn to deal with and enjoy being alone too.
What would you rather do? Win the "good" fight, or work a few years, sell for a few billion dollars and be able to retire young and never have to work again?
I know which lines I'd be in....I'd be in the LOOOooooongggg line.
(with apologies to Richard Pryor).
Sage words....even still true in contexts outside this particular case, just avoid anything Tom Brady in general.
His wife, however...is another case, please, post lots of photos of her, especially if nude....I wonder how she'd look covered in grits?
Obamacare did NOT help the self-employed, if anything it hurt MANY of us.
I previously was able to get insurance with a "high deductible" policy, I think it was maybe $1200 a few years back, and only cost me maybe $75-$100 a month or so. With the "high deductible" coverage I was also qualified to set myself up a HSA (Health savings Account) and fund it to a max of over $3K.
The coverage was quite comprehensive, had low cost meds etc.
After Obama care? I can't afford that type policy, as that it barely exhists, and has been deteriorating each year. I had to drop down in coverage a bit to afford this last one....I pay about $780/mo, for a $1700 deductible....covers not quite as many meds, office fees have increased on what I have to pay for co-pay....but the one saving thing is I can still max out my HSA year after year (unlike FSA's, mine isn't used or lose it, I roll it over every year).
But not only is it more $$...fewer of my Drs on on the network. There are fewer choices in plans....those exchanges don't do fuck-all for anyone making over poverty level...they just aren't there, and it is getting worse.
Obama care was one of the worst things I"ve ever seen happen to healthcare for middle to upper middle income people.....the quicker it is done away with, the better.
IMHO, the ONLY positive thing the federal govt could do for health care, is make it so that medical insurance can be sold over state lines, like car insurance is....let the market back in and make things competitive again.
The only positive things Obamacare did, was remove the pre-existing condition parts that could exclude you from any insurance. That was a positive....but hell, even back before, I had some preexisting conditions, and it didn't make my medical insurance NEARLY as $$$$ as it currently is.....
Hmm...well, looking at the federal govt's track record for efficiency, cost savings, and high standard of care with those existing programs (Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA)....I don't think they've proved themselves qualified to handle the care for ALL of us yet.
Horrible costs, horrible management and poor standard of care.....that's all they've shown us they can do to date in the US.
That is a lie....
Married men DON'T live longer......
It is a right already.
You have the right to get the best medical care you can afford.
That involves setting aside money for health care like any other routine expense you have (rent, food, etc).
You do not, however, have a right to extract money from ME to pay for yours.
Actually one of the main problems these days, is the ER is FILLED to the brim each day, with illegal immigrants that use it as their form of primary care.
Perhaps you're forgetting the self employed?
Not everyone works a corporate W2 job, many of us out here are independent contractors and independent small businesses.
You do if you're self employed, and there are quite a few of us out there, not everyone works W2 jobs my friend.
I have a backup system for that on my cars.....it's a bumper sticker:
"Horn broken.....watch for finger...."
Hmm...have you heard about all the foreign plane crashes past few years?
From everything I've read, at many foreign airports, especially where H1-B's would come from....they are a chaotic mess, not something we'd want to import "here"....that and language barrier between them and control towers.
I still don't get charged sales tax on any of the 3rd party sales from amazon to my state....