"I can recommend something like Last.fm [www.last.fm] for finding music. Stick an artist you like in the box, and it streams similar music (and every so often, the artist you asked for's music)."
They let you stream music at work??
Must be nice, most places I've worked at haven't let you stream stuff....
Where the hell are they going to get all this money from for all these programs?
Geez..people were bitching about all the money the Bush admin was spending (Hell, "I" was bitching about it too, Bush never seemed to see a spending bill he didn't like).
But, really...I thought the Dems. were supposed to go back to being Clinton-ian, and try to get back to a balance budget.
"Right, and how many of those able-bodied, working Americans are trapped in a poverty gap because, even if they earn something like $30,000 per year or more,"
Wait..you're calling $30K/yr in the POVERTY range?!?!?
Geez...no way is that poverty...that is not that far away from what the median income in the US is!?!
If you're making $30K...you have a real job...and employers are giving medical insurance....
"Medicare and Medicaid! Oh my! That will solve all of their problems!
You cannot seriously consider those programmes to be anywhere close to the effectiveness of a national health system."
No..they're not meant to be. They are there for people that can't take care of themselves. The rest of us that are able-bodied are expected to work, and save and take care of our own health needs.
"How well does that work out? My impression is that in the US a lot of conditions end up getting treated a lot later (and hence both less effectively and far more expensively) than they should be, because people won't go to a doctor unless it seems serious."
From what I gather...a lot of the people outside the US perceive it as MUCH worse here than it is. I don't think we don't go to the Dr. till something is wrong so much for cost...but, just don't wanna waste their time or ours. Maybe it is more of a 'guy' thing, but, unless I feel like something is REALLY wrong, I just don't feel like taking off work to go to a Dr. wait around...just to have him tell me 99% of the time I'm fine. If something is wrong, I'm bleeding badly or feeling very poorly, sure I'll go, but, other than that...I just don't like to go for things that aren't serious.
"The U.S. system spends a ridiculous amount of money keeping alive old people who should, quite frankly, be dead."
I think the same could be said for the extreme pre-mature births, and other super frail births of kids that in the past would have not made it.
I'm not saying take no measures to help a kid that is very close to making it, but, the superhuman steps they are going to to save some kids costs a fortune, and frankly may not be helping out the gene pool any for future generations...
"Yes, encourage theft of service. Why not? It's the Slashdot way to demand free entertainment."
Not really sure I'd consider it 'theft'. I mean, I'm paying for a cable link to hook computer(s) to.
All I'm doing is connecting computers to the network...and transmitting and sucking up whatever is on it through a computer. Some of the computers just happen to be running mythtv, and can get audio/video content that is being transmitted on the cable I'm paying for a connection to. If they wanted to limit what I got off the feed...they should filter it somehow.
"The blinders that rich people in the US use to not see the large percentage of the population which isn't well off are are amazing."
And what is the definition dujour of rich today?
I'm hearing that it is going as low as $35K-$40K/yr.
There are places in the US where making below that can still get you a decent level of living. If you aren't making over $200K, don't try to live in NYC or somewhere else expensive. Move to where your level of income fits in with the cost of living. If you are way below that level and at poverty..well, there already is medicare/medicade and welfare.
"Can you give an example of this government control and loss of freedom in, for example, Canada? And can you explain why they have about the same taxes..."
Easily found enough....search/. and look for all the posts I've read from Canadians bitching just about how much they pay in taxes...and lack of control and shoddiness of health tx they often get up there. Having to wait for procedures, etc...
Granted, sometimes I get the rants from the UK and Canada crossed...but, from what I've heard, we don't pay nearly what they do in taxes...I don't pay nearly 50% or more in taxes in the US.
"That's a crock. My wife is having a baby next month and the whole thing will be about $4000. With negotiated rates and my company pitching in $1,000 to my HSA, it is not even a blip on our financial radar (the birth, the baby and next 18 years very much so on the radar). We've had 9-months to save up for it, and long before she got pregnant, we were planning for it. Americans will drop $5k on a 60" hdtv, but don't want to spend a dime on doctor bills to have a baby. WTF?"
THANK YOU!! Too bad you can't be modd'ed higher than +5.
People have forgotten that besides needing to live within your means....that living within your means MEANS saving for rainy days, bad times, and if you're wanting to have kids, to plan to have and support them (both fiscally and from a personal time/sacrifice point of view).
You don't go out buying 60" Plasma tvs until you have all of your other bases covered. Our society has come to such an entitlement mentality, that they think they need to have all the luxuries...they can buy those if the govt just pays for the necessities.
If you can't make a lot of money in the profession you have chosen, then you need to make some choices. Do you want to have kids or a big house and toys/bling? You may not be able to have everything, and people need to face that reality.
While I blame MOST of the current financial crisis on the feds and wall street....I also blame a great deal of it on people and this new mentality.
"How so? As a high-earning guy without children, I probably pay more than my "fair share", whatever that means, of taxes, so there's no hypocrisy I see in wanting them."
Hmm...but, you're still not paying enough in taxes you feel?
I pay plenty too, and I figure what I pay now is enough (if not too much). I don't want yet ANOTHER federal excuse to raid my paycheck for a national health care system.
We already have medicare/medicade for the truly poor and elderly. Anyone in between, can take care of themselves like most of us do.
"I do not agree with most 'welfare' programs that hand out money, but health care is worth the cost."
Like most things in my life...I'd rather have the option to be responsible and handle them myself in my own way.
I have my own insurance, a high deductible policy to only be used for catastrophic needs. I sock money away in a HSA pre-tax...and use that for meds, and routine visits, etc. In the long run, I come out way ahead of those with employer benefits, etc. When I go to the Dr. and tell them I'm paying myself, they usually give me at least a 15% discount off the top of what they'd charge an insurance co.
"from what i understand the 250GB cap still exists even on the business service."
Well, I don't know for sure on Comcast...I'm on Cox and I have no caps, no ports blocked, etc.
However, I can't imagine how/why they'd put a cap on a BUSINESS connection. If you're running servers, you can't generally afford to run out of ability to give/receive data now can you?
"What will your employers think about your pimp-slapping homepage link?
Hehehe..honestly, I'd forgotten that was there...that's been there for YEARS, and it has helped me rack up a bunch of ho's....
Then again, while sure I know people can find out who you really are on/., the average employer won't know who cayenne8 really is.
I rarely if ever use real name, or other identifying information on the internet or forums. I think it is usually best to try to "not be seen" as much as is reasonably possible while still using the internet for fun, information and expression.
"Has it occured to you that perhaps when he gets home having spent 8 hours in front of a PC the last thing he wants to do is spend his free time in front of one too? Not all of us find computer technology so fascinating that we want to use it 24/7."
No...it didn't occur to me...at least not till that is was pointed out to me recently that some people DO feel that way. I'd kinda assumed most everyone was like me and liked computers around all the time in some form or another.
Me? I have at least one computer on in most every room of the house 24/7...email is up and running on all of them. When I get a new macbook pro, the old iBook I have now will be relegated permanently to the kitchen. But I have mostly linux boxes in the rest of the house...as mythboxes mostly, but, of course they are used for computing, email, etc too....
But no...I have only myself as a frame of reference on most things in life...so, was surprised especially for someone that chose a career that involved computers...that they would tire of them, and not enjoy playing on them when off work.
I mean...at home you can do lots of things with them you can't do on a computer at work, eh?
"I get comcast interent but I don't get comcast cable tv. So they CHARGE Me $19 extra. I Could almost get cable tv for close to "free" (just $10 more for both)."
So, just sign up for their lowest level business connection. You get internet only, and even better...no caps, static IP address, you can run servers...etc.
It is a bit more than the lowest consumer connection, but, worth it for what it sounds like you want....
And nice thing is...they usually can't or won't put a 'trap' on that line or it would interfere with your WAN speeds....which means you can tap onto that same line, and usually get free TV too. I did that, I get all the deluxe tier level analog shows, and with my HDHomerun, and my mythtv box...I can scan and get all the unencrypted HD/digital channels too.
"They don't use it much to communicate, they're not on facebook or twitter..."
I consider myself moderately young (or young minded) and I steer clear of facebook or other social networking crap. My friends my age have it, but, I'm too concerned about privacy issues, etc to mess with that. I'm still of the mindset I got from the earlier days of the internet...try to stay anonymous as you can within reason. At the very least, don't go posting pics of yourself half nekkid with friends, sucking a skull bong.
:)
It could come back to haunt you later for a job interview...especially if it is security related.
"Um, no they don't. My generation "needs" broadband. A lot of older people,
especially the elderly, have no need or desire for the internet. "
Actually...not just 'old' people.
I have a friend of mine...he works in the somewhat tech industry. He works with computer applications (CRM stuff, Crystal reports, etc). But, when away from work, he is such a luddite. He still has a broadband connection at home (a leftover from some indie work) BUT, he never uses or checks it for email or whatever. If it were not there at all, he'd not miss it. He does not allow sms txt on his phone (had it shut off). Basically....he only wants to communicate either in person, or in voice over the phone. He apparently barely reads or does email at work beyond what is forced on him by work situations.
Me? I'm a junkie on the internet. I'm a horrible TV junkie...but, I've found that as I've recently moved, I can live much easier without tv than I can without internet connectivity. I may be a bit older, like the old Koreans, I used email for probably 99% of my communications with my other friends. I often carry on real time conversations on email....just never got into IM, and I can IM at work sites (security risk). I'm gonna get a sms text plan on my next phone buy...as that I have started using that more and more too.
But with respect to my friend...I can see where there are a significant number of people that don't want it or need it. They actually might be antagonistic against it somewhat thinking it too impersonal a method of communication.
So, what is the deal in the EU? I didn't see any mention of it on the first page of the article, but, are they having some sort of electrical energy crisis over there?
What all the drastic measures? I mean, who cares how much power a TV costs? It isn't THAT bad....I wouldn't see even a bump in my power bill, so I'm guessing they are having some sort of crisis over there with electric power?
"Moral of the story again: Untrusted code could do anything. Don't download copied software."
But often in the case of the Mac, this may be your ONLY way to get software, for older machines. For instance, you buy an older, used mac. It has an older version, say Tiger, of the operating system legally installed on it, but, you didn't get the OEM disks. Well, Apple no longer sells those disks....what do you do in case you need the CD's in case of failure and need to reinstall?
What if you have an older machine...that can't run the newer stuff, say the new iLife versions? You can't buy the older ones....where are you supposed to get it?
Granted, the 2nd example is a much more grey area....but I think the first example is 100% legit..
"I don't understand how one can say, "No laws apply". There are laws against stalking, and laws against libel/slander of other individuals. The mom might only spend a year in jail for these minor crimes, but that's still better than nothing."
But see...Lori Drew was NOT charged or convicted of these things. They had to go out of their way to stretch other, non-related laws to try to get her on 'something'. It is the stretching that is the problem....now that unrelated law has more power and is interpreted much broader than intended, and in the future trap someone for something much more minor and unrelated to the drew case.
It freaked out the officials when they found they could not prosecute Drew directly under any applicable laws, there are none.
This is similar to years back, I think down here in LA. A man had put video cameras in someone elses home and filmed them (women) undressing and having sex...etc. They caught the guy, but, much to their suprise, there was NO existing law on the books against what he was doing, they had to let him go...and pass new laws.
That is exactly what should have happened in the Drew case...as bad as it was....she broke no real true applicable law on the books.
And with regard to the legal quips in the article synopsis above....while I think what Lori Drew did was dispicable....I certainly hope her legal team is making an appeal on the conviction.
I really am troubled by the prosecution stretching one law so badly to make up for the fact that there was NO real law on the books against what she did.
In the past, the person was let go. Yes, that sucks, but, if there is no law, there is no crime. Usually a law gets passed to prevent/punish it next time.
Stretching an unrelated 'law' like this sets terrible precedents for future prosecutions of other 'crimes' that are really non-crimes. Does one really deserve jail time for breaking a websites user agreement? That's essentially what this precedent says....Lori Drew wasn't convicted of anything concerning the death of the girl...only breaking this agreement and stretching it to tie in with hacker laws.
"I suppose I'm an idiot for thinking that objects, either my own or those of my neighbors, are not worth killing for."
I would not call you an idiot...but, we do think differently, and I'm guessing you have not gone through or seen anything like the rampant looting that happened post-Katrina.
Basically, only the threat of that kind of penalty would stop those 'animals'. And if you were in your home when they came about, it wouldn't just be your stuff in danger, trust me.
And frankly, I'm guessing you may not be from the south? Down here, we take intrusion on property and theft pretty seriously, God help you if you get caught doing stuff like that in TX....you can lawfully shoot someone stealing from your property pretty easily.....
"...in that setting who doesn't know Windows and Microsoft Office?"
Well, at least with Office, it may no longer be the case.
While I've admittedly not been using MS products that much the past 3-4 years, in the past when I needed to do a quick word or excel doc, I could do it pretty quickly...like you said, you just 'know' it.
However, at my new gig...I was given a laptop with what I think is Office 2007....the one with the 'ribbon'? I swear, I'm still fairly lost on this thing...it took me an actually bit of research on the web to find the menu for a 'save as' option. I mean, it just wasn't intuitive for me to click that big round dot thing on the top left. I was looking for a normal menu option.
IMHO, this was a huge mistake for Office. I'm fairly computer literate...and it took ME some time to find things. I feel sorry for the secretary that isn't really computer savvy.
So, at this point with what MS did to Office and the complete change of menuing system, with no way to switch to classic mode...it might actually be easier to get people to use OO or something like it that more closely resembles MS Office classic..than current version of MS Office do.
Slashdot Mirror
They let you stream music at work??
Must be nice, most places I've worked at haven't let you stream stuff....
Where the hell are they going to get all this money from for all these programs?
Geez..people were bitching about all the money the Bush admin was spending (Hell, "I" was bitching about it too, Bush never seemed to see a spending bill he didn't like).
But, really...I thought the Dems. were supposed to go back to being Clinton-ian, and try to get back to a balance budget.
Wait..you're calling $30K/yr in the POVERTY range?!?!?
Geez...no way is that poverty...that is not that far away from what the median income in the US is!?!
If you're making $30K...you have a real job...and employers are giving medical insurance....
You cannot seriously consider those programmes to be anywhere close to the effectiveness of a national health system."
No..they're not meant to be. They are there for people that can't take care of themselves. The rest of us that are able-bodied are expected to work, and save and take care of our own health needs.
From what I gather...a lot of the people outside the US perceive it as MUCH worse here than it is. I don't think we don't go to the Dr. till something is wrong so much for cost...but, just don't wanna waste their time or ours. Maybe it is more of a 'guy' thing, but, unless I feel like something is REALLY wrong, I just don't feel like taking off work to go to a Dr. wait around...just to have him tell me 99% of the time I'm fine. If something is wrong, I'm bleeding badly or feeling very poorly, sure I'll go, but, other than that...I just don't like to go for things that aren't serious.
I think the same could be said for the extreme pre-mature births, and other super frail births of kids that in the past would have not made it.
I'm not saying take no measures to help a kid that is very close to making it, but, the superhuman steps they are going to to save some kids costs a fortune, and frankly may not be helping out the gene pool any for future generations...
Not really sure I'd consider it 'theft'. I mean, I'm paying for a cable link to hook computer(s) to.
All I'm doing is connecting computers to the network...and transmitting and sucking up whatever is on it through a computer. Some of the computers just happen to be running mythtv, and can get audio/video content that is being transmitted on the cable I'm paying for a connection to. If they wanted to limit what I got off the feed...they should filter it somehow.
And what is the definition dujour of rich today?
I'm hearing that it is going as low as $35K-$40K/yr. There are places in the US where making below that can still get you a decent level of living. If you aren't making over $200K, don't try to live in NYC or somewhere else expensive. Move to where your level of income fits in with the cost of living. If you are way below that level and at poverty..well, there already is medicare/medicade and welfare.
Easily found enough....search /. and look for all the posts I've read from Canadians bitching just about how much they pay in taxes...and lack of control and shoddiness of health tx they often get up there. Having to wait for procedures, etc...
Granted, sometimes I get the rants from the UK and Canada crossed...but, from what I've heard, we don't pay nearly what they do in taxes...I don't pay nearly 50% or more in taxes in the US.
THANK YOU!! Too bad you can't be modd'ed higher than +5.
People have forgotten that besides needing to live within your means....that living within your means MEANS saving for rainy days, bad times, and if you're wanting to have kids, to plan to have and support them (both fiscally and from a personal time/sacrifice point of view).
You don't go out buying 60" Plasma tvs until you have all of your other bases covered. Our society has come to such an entitlement mentality, that they think they need to have all the luxuries...they can buy those if the govt just pays for the necessities.
If you can't make a lot of money in the profession you have chosen, then you need to make some choices. Do you want to have kids or a big house and toys/bling? You may not be able to have everything, and people need to face that reality.
While I blame MOST of the current financial crisis on the feds and wall street....I also blame a great deal of it on people and this new mentality.
Hmm...but, you're still not paying enough in taxes you feel?
I pay plenty too, and I figure what I pay now is enough (if not too much). I don't want yet ANOTHER federal excuse to raid my paycheck for a national health care system.
We already have medicare/medicade for the truly poor and elderly. Anyone in between, can take care of themselves like most of us do.
Like most things in my life...I'd rather have the option to be responsible and handle them myself in my own way.
I have my own insurance, a high deductible policy to only be used for catastrophic needs. I sock money away in a HSA pre-tax...and use that for meds, and routine visits, etc. In the long run, I come out way ahead of those with employer benefits, etc. When I go to the Dr. and tell them I'm paying myself, they usually give me at least a 15% discount off the top of what they'd charge an insurance co.
At this point, I like doing things myself.
Well, I don't know for sure on Comcast...I'm on Cox and I have no caps, no ports blocked, etc.
However, I can't imagine how/why they'd put a cap on a BUSINESS connection. If you're running servers, you can't generally afford to run out of ability to give/receive data now can you?
Hehehe..honestly, I'd forgotten that was there...that's been there for YEARS, and it has helped me rack up a bunch of ho's....
Then again, while sure I know people can find out who you really are on/., the average employer won't know who cayenne8 really is.
I rarely if ever use real name, or other identifying information on the internet or forums. I think it is usually best to try to "not be seen" as much as is reasonably possible while still using the internet for fun, information and expression.
No...it didn't occur to me...at least not till that is was pointed out to me recently that some people DO feel that way. I'd kinda assumed most everyone was like me and liked computers around all the time in some form or another.
Me? I have at least one computer on in most every room of the house 24/7...email is up and running on all of them. When I get a new macbook pro, the old iBook I have now will be relegated permanently to the kitchen. But I have mostly linux boxes in the rest of the house...as mythboxes mostly, but, of course they are used for computing, email, etc too....
But no...I have only myself as a frame of reference on most things in life...so, was surprised especially for someone that chose a career that involved computers...that they would tire of them, and not enjoy playing on them when off work.
I mean...at home you can do lots of things with them you can't do on a computer at work, eh?
So, just sign up for their lowest level business connection. You get internet only, and even better...no caps, static IP address, you can run servers...etc.
It is a bit more than the lowest consumer connection, but, worth it for what it sounds like you want....
And nice thing is...they usually can't or won't put a 'trap' on that line or it would interfere with your WAN speeds....which means you can tap onto that same line, and usually get free TV too. I did that, I get all the deluxe tier level analog shows, and with my HDHomerun, and my mythtv box...I can scan and get all the unencrypted HD/digital channels too.
All for the price of an internet connection.
I consider myself moderately young (or young minded) and I steer clear of facebook or other social networking crap. My friends my age have it, but, I'm too concerned about privacy issues, etc to mess with that. I'm still of the mindset I got from the earlier days of the internet...try to stay anonymous as you can within reason. At the very least, don't go posting pics of yourself half nekkid with friends, sucking a skull bong.
It could come back to haunt you later for a job interview...especially if it is security related.
Actually...not just 'old' people.
I have a friend of mine...he works in the somewhat tech industry. He works with computer applications (CRM stuff, Crystal reports, etc). But, when away from work, he is such a luddite. He still has a broadband connection at home (a leftover from some indie work) BUT, he never uses or checks it for email or whatever. If it were not there at all, he'd not miss it. He does not allow sms txt on his phone (had it shut off). Basically....he only wants to communicate either in person, or in voice over the phone. He apparently barely reads or does email at work beyond what is forced on him by work situations.
Me? I'm a junkie on the internet. I'm a horrible TV junkie...but, I've found that as I've recently moved, I can live much easier without tv than I can without internet connectivity. I may be a bit older, like the old Koreans, I used email for probably 99% of my communications with my other friends. I often carry on real time conversations on email....just never got into IM, and I can IM at work sites (security risk). I'm gonna get a sms text plan on my next phone buy...as that I have started using that more and more too.
But with respect to my friend...I can see where there are a significant number of people that don't want it or need it. They actually might be antagonistic against it somewhat thinking it too impersonal a method of communication.
What all the drastic measures? I mean, who cares how much power a TV costs? It isn't THAT bad....I wouldn't see even a bump in my power bill, so I'm guessing they are having some sort of crisis over there with electric power?
But often in the case of the Mac, this may be your ONLY way to get software, for older machines. For instance, you buy an older, used mac. It has an older version, say Tiger, of the operating system legally installed on it, but, you didn't get the OEM disks. Well, Apple no longer sells those disks....what do you do in case you need the CD's in case of failure and need to reinstall?
What if you have an older machine...that can't run the newer stuff, say the new iLife versions? You can't buy the older ones....where are you supposed to get it?
Granted, the 2nd example is a much more grey area....but I think the first example is 100% legit..
But see...Lori Drew was NOT charged or convicted of these things. They had to go out of their way to stretch other, non-related laws to try to get her on 'something'. It is the stretching that is the problem....now that unrelated law has more power and is interpreted much broader than intended, and in the future trap someone for something much more minor and unrelated to the drew case.
It freaked out the officials when they found they could not prosecute Drew directly under any applicable laws, there are none.
This is similar to years back, I think down here in LA. A man had put video cameras in someone elses home and filmed them (women) undressing and having sex...etc. They caught the guy, but, much to their suprise, there was NO existing law on the books against what he was doing, they had to let him go...and pass new laws.
That is exactly what should have happened in the Drew case...as bad as it was....she broke no real true applicable law on the books.
I really am troubled by the prosecution stretching one law so badly to make up for the fact that there was NO real law on the books against what she did.
In the past, the person was let go. Yes, that sucks, but, if there is no law, there is no crime. Usually a law gets passed to prevent/punish it next time.
Stretching an unrelated 'law' like this sets terrible precedents for future prosecutions of other 'crimes' that are really non-crimes. Does one really deserve jail time for breaking a websites user agreement? That's essentially what this precedent says....Lori Drew wasn't convicted of anything concerning the death of the girl...only breaking this agreement and stretching it to tie in with hacker laws.
I would not call you an idiot...but, we do think differently, and I'm guessing you have not gone through or seen anything like the rampant looting that happened post-Katrina.
Basically, only the threat of that kind of penalty would stop those 'animals'. And if you were in your home when they came about, it wouldn't just be your stuff in danger, trust me.
And frankly, I'm guessing you may not be from the south? Down here, we take intrusion on property and theft pretty seriously, God help you if you get caught doing stuff like that in TX....you can lawfully shoot someone stealing from your property pretty easily.....
Well, at least with Office, it may no longer be the case.
While I've admittedly not been using MS products that much the past 3-4 years, in the past when I needed to do a quick word or excel doc, I could do it pretty quickly...like you said, you just 'know' it.
However, at my new gig...I was given a laptop with what I think is Office 2007....the one with the 'ribbon'? I swear, I'm still fairly lost on this thing...it took me an actually bit of research on the web to find the menu for a 'save as' option. I mean, it just wasn't intuitive for me to click that big round dot thing on the top left. I was looking for a normal menu option.
IMHO, this was a huge mistake for Office. I'm fairly computer literate...and it took ME some time to find things. I feel sorry for the secretary that isn't really computer savvy.
So, at this point with what MS did to Office and the complete change of menuing system, with no way to switch to classic mode...it might actually be easier to get people to use OO or something like it that more closely resembles MS Office classic..than current version of MS Office do.
You're thinking too small....you're not just looking after yourself and your home, but, more of a 'neighborhood watch' type thing.
You don't want them stealing your neighbors stuff just because they aren't back yet, do you?