The mini-storage place I rent maintains all their records -- even real-time stuff like gate entries and exits, and, I assume, alarm conditions -- on an Apple ][. They even have some 9-pin impact dot-matrix printer attached to it. Occasionally I get a notice letter from them printed on it, on paper that was clearly once fan-fold tractor-feed stock.
This country was not founded nor built by people who shunned all help. We're a nation of barn-raisers, not mountain hermits.
A few generations ago, people would rather live on beans and potatoes than accept money from the government.
[Citation needed]
When people believe there is such thing as a free government lunch, we are ruined.
When people stop believing we are allowed to join together for a common purpose -- as you appear hell-bent on abetting -- then we are well and truly ruined.
All I know is, my dad was able to buy and keep a house and a couple of cars, on a factory-job salary. I work in the white-collar world, make a few times what he ever did, and I'm struggling for what he had. (And he supported two kids for several years by the time he was my age, while I have none...)
This suggests an easy way to improve all of society immensely.
1. Take every child aside, separately, administer some hocus-pocus-bogus test, and tell him/her that he/she is "exceptionally intelligent and positive -minded" or whatever. Then tell the teacher(s) that the class has been specially assembled to have nothing but these superchildren.
Some of us are old enough to remember the days when a M.U.L.E. that could be described as a flexible-function robot was something you would outfit for food, energy, smithore, or crystite production.
I can also do assembly and VB (among others...), and I learned them purely as a programmer. Guess I grew up too interested in programming to get hung up on what language (or level of language) was "cooler".
----------8<---------- Method and apparatus for mediating exchange of goods and/or services...on the Internets
I. Overview
Exchange begins with negotiation of terms...on the Internets. Once consensus is reached, buyer sends payment...on the Internets. Upon acceptance of payment, seller renders goods and/or serivces, with verification messages sent...on the Internets. ----------8<----------
Pay me, bitches[1].
[1] "Bitches" refers to Amazon.com, eBay.com, Walmart.com, et al.
So how is it that your "mommy government" has to spend billions of dollars so you can avoid your natural responsibility to defend yourself against attackers? I mean, what are ya, a wuss?
Being someone's "mommy" has nothing to do with it. Our government is us. We decide, together, whether we want to go in on something big like health care or what-have-you as a group. There's nothing "invalid" about doing so.
I think the basic difference of opinion is that I consider the military a valid expenditure and part of the correct habits of our national government - whereas I don't think that healthcare and retirement plans are.
So keeping people safe from military attack is a valid action, but keeping them safe from abject poverty once their usefulness to corporations has ended or safe from crippling disease is not?
It seems to me a basic concept of Western law. For example:
Should a toll road's owner be fined if someone transports illegal goods on it? Or required to search all cars that pass?
Should Disneyland be fined if someone manages to smuggle in 'shrooms and consume them waiting in line for Pirates Of The Carribean? Or conduct drug searches and tests on all patrons?
Should a taxi driver be fined if a passenger sneaks trash out the window? Or required to maintain all windows and doors to be sealed at all times?
However, the rats get either a food pellet or nothing. If you want a true parallel, give the rats an occasional food pellet in a sea of electrical zaps.
In equally shocking news, Bill Gates uses Windows -- the very OS made by his own company! DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!
Please.
You could just as easily say the reverse: Al Gore doesn't just buy carbon offsets, he participates in an entire company whose whole purpose is to replace CO2-emitting activities with equivalent non-CO2-emitting ones.
Actually, come to think of it, that wouldn't even be a frame on the issue -- it would be the truth.
people get hung up on the idea that folks who take unnecessary risks or don't take care of their bodies will be getting a "free ride".
Data point #5.7e+24 (approx.) supporting the conclusion that people are stupid.
Which is more of a drain on society? Someone who dies early (thus not contributing to society for N years) because he didn't get health care? Or someone who takes a "free ride" to fix the medical problem that would have killed him?
People are too focused on placing blame to see they'll be better off in the long run if they just drop it and get on with taking care of everyone.
Slashdot Mirror
The mini-storage place I rent maintains all their records -- even real-time stuff like gate entries and exits, and, I assume, alarm conditions -- on an Apple ][. They even have some 9-pin impact dot-matrix printer attached to it. Occasionally I get a notice letter from them printed on it, on paper that was clearly once fan-fold tractor-feed stock.
Something in me admires that.
This country was not founded nor built by people who shunned all help. We're a nation of barn-raisers, not mountain hermits.[Citation needed]When people stop believing we are allowed to join together for a common purpose -- as you appear hell-bent on abetting -- then we are well and truly ruined.
You seem to be in good company. I haven't stopped using it, but I have switched from one bloated AV package to a supposedly-less-bloated one, to a free one that the chart on that first link seems to say is one of the less egregious ones in relation to slowdown.
Still not confident enough to go commando like you, though.
All I know is, my dad was able to buy and keep a house and a couple of cars, on a factory-job salary. I work in the white-collar world, make a few times what he ever did, and I'm struggling for what he had. (And he supported two kids for several years by the time he was my age, while I have none...)
People here are beyond ready for the next president to replace the current one. That's why the campaigning started around December of 2006.
This suggests an easy way to improve all of society immensely.
1. Take every child aside, separately, administer some hocus-pocus-bogus test, and tell him/her that he/she is "exceptionally intelligent and positive -minded" or whatever. Then tell the teacher(s) that the class has been specially assembled to have nothing but these superchildren.
2. Repeat over every classroom in the country.
3. Sit back and watch society improve.
Some of us are old enough to remember the days when a M.U.L.E. that could be described as a flexible-function robot was something you would outfit for food, energy, smithore, or crystite production.
I'm a vi(m) user. And I vote.
I can also do assembly and VB (among others...), and I learned them purely as a programmer. Guess I grew up too interested in programming to get hung up on what language (or level of language) was "cooler".
----------8<----------
Method and apparatus for mediating exchange of goods and/or services...on the Internets
I. Overview
Exchange begins with negotiation of terms...on the Internets. Once consensus is reached, buyer sends payment...on the Internets. Upon acceptance of payment, seller renders goods and/or serivces, with verification messages sent...on the Internets.
----------8<----------
Pay me, bitches[1].
[1] "Bitches" refers to Amazon.com, eBay.com, Walmart.com, et al.
So how is it that your "mommy government" has to spend billions of dollars so you can avoid your natural responsibility to defend yourself against attackers? I mean, what are ya, a wuss?
Being someone's "mommy" has nothing to do with it. Our government is us. We decide, together, whether we want to go in on something big like health care or what-have-you as a group. There's nothing "invalid" about doing so.
I'm not getting your criteria here.
Those who could say yes have, shall we say, gone on a long vacation.
You know it's true, ${FIRSTNAME}.
It seems to me a basic concept of Western law. For example:
Should a toll road's owner be fined if someone transports illegal goods on it? Or required to search all cars that pass?
Should Disneyland be fined if someone manages to smuggle in 'shrooms and consume them waiting in line for Pirates Of The Carribean? Or conduct drug searches and tests on all patrons?
Should a taxi driver be fined if a passenger sneaks trash out the window? Or required to maintain all windows and doors to be sealed at all times?
However, the rats get either a food pellet or nothing. If you want a true parallel, give the rats an occasional food pellet in a sea of electrical zaps.
Not when this has been around for years...
In equally shocking news, Bill Gates uses Windows -- the very OS made by his own company! DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!
Please.
You could just as easily say the reverse: Al Gore doesn't just buy carbon offsets, he participates in an entire company whose whole purpose is to replace CO2-emitting activities with equivalent non-CO2-emitting ones.
Actually, come to think of it, that wouldn't even be a frame on the issue -- it would be the truth.
Which is more of a drain on society? Someone who dies early (thus not contributing to society for N years) because he didn't get health care? Or someone who takes a "free ride" to fix the medical problem that would have killed him?
People are too focused on placing blame to see they'll be better off in the long run if they just drop it and get on with taking care of everyone.
...the true meaning of the violent-gamer term "PWNED".
But that requires very tiny photons! Have you priced those lately? I'm not made of money! Leave me alone!
Are you sure? I'm sure there's no reason they couldn't.
From a quick Googling, it looks like some work has been done in this area.