This is a common practice--especially when a company first goes public. Usually the top people get the most stock in order to insure the boat is not rocked. The top get all the benefits like it is in all thing concerning business. My limited experience has not been positive. One time the stock never got high enough to make it worth excersizing the options, but I didn't spend any money on it.
Sometimes options only go to the top executives, and the lower folk got some type of stock plan to buy stocks, but the lower folk are not garenteed any stockk per say. My last company had a sweet deal before the economy went south. They eventually allowed their employees to buy the stock at the lowest point going back a number of 6 month periods. The stock was then sold to the employee at 85% of the market value on that day, then they put the plan on hold when the economy went south.
I have heard of some people within the last 6 to 12 months taking jobs where they are paid only in stock at start ups. I think it was in the Boston area. There was a time when everyone dealing with Microsoft or employed by them want stock instead of cash, but now things have changed. These people want cash since Microsoft's stock isn't as good as it used to be back in the 90s.
From this article: "It follows the President where ever he goes and is never more that a few steps from his side. It is carried by a military officer who must undergo the nation's most rigorous security background check - the "Yankee White". It contains a secure SATCOM radio and handset, the nuclear launch codes known as the "Gold Codes" and the President's Decision Book - the nuclear playbook that the President would rely on if he would ever have to decide to use nuclear weapons. Its real name is unknown but it is popularly known as "the football". " (Bold added by me).
Notice the bold words. The carrier of the nuclear football was an officer who went through the most rigerous of the security background checks.
The next quote is from Dereliction of Duty by Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, USAF (Ret.) who was one of the people who carried the Nuclear Football for Bill Clinton (and he says in his book he considers Mr. Clinton to be a security risk to the country): Four days later, on January 21, I was the first person on President Clinton's schedule. At seven in the morning, I was going to give the president his annual nuclear update briefing and his new set of nuclear "go codes." (p.55)
As you can see the President of the US carries around with him the nuclear go codes which are kept in his pocket. This is what Mr. Clinton lost. Now form page 56, in the actual meeting:
I handed him the new card--the biscuit, we called it--with the new codes, which would be effective immediately.... He didn't offer me his old set of codes, however, and I figured now was not a good time to press the issue.
This is where it became evident that something was wrong! Clinton should have handed over the biscuit! Also on page 56, "The biggest security risk was the president himself". A few days later, he writes:
My expectation was that the president would finally return his oldset to us. Instead, President Clinton looked up sheepishly and confessed, "I don't have mine on me. I'll track it down, guys, and get it back to you."
We [Patterson and another military aide] were dumbfounded--the president losing his nuclear codes. He is required to have the codes on him at all times. President Clinton normally kept the world's most sensitive document ruber-banded to his credit cards in his pants pocket.... This time, though, the codes were apparently lost.... The president finally threw up his hands and said casually, "I just can't find it...dont know where it is."
This proves that not only is it possible for Clinton to have lost the codes, but he actually did! That is irresponcible! It is unknown when he lost them, and that means there is a period of time when the location of our go codes were unknown and a big security risk. This means that if some terrorist got their hands on the codes, then all hell could have broken out! It sounds like a movie but this happened!
Also, at one point, Bill Clinton even was seperated from the Nuclear Football for thirty to forty minutes. That is something that should not happen!!!
Bill Clinton is responcible for 9/11 because he didn't do his job and go after Osama Bin Laden when he started to attack us around the world and as a direct result his is responcible for all the big brother legislation being intorduced in Congress now. If he had actually done his job 9/11 wouldn't have happened, and we probbably wouldn't see the big brother legislation we are seeing now because the mindset of the Government wouldn't be so paranoid. Bill Clinton was one of, if not the number one, worst president of all times
I suggest that you, and others, read this account of someone who carried the Nuclear Football for Mr. Clinton. There is some informative things in there--including stuff on Hillary Clinton (like where the mis
That's why he'd win! Most Americans lean towards Conservative, and a majority wants to end partial birth abortion (then abortion). America is more Conservative than the Democrats realise. The popularity of Fox News and Conservative Talk radio is an example of this. Most Americans can't stand the Left-Wing elite--like Striesand (sp?).
Anyone elected by the current Democract party would be too liberal to actually beat Bush (unless it's Liberman). Candidates have to be closer to the middle than Dean is to get the independant vote! Dean is not moderate. Very few Democratic politions from Vermont are moderate because Vermont is a Democrat and Socialist state.
Actually, the platforms of the two main parties are at odds with each other, but in order to get the vote of all the independants (those choosing no party), both sides try to show they're in the middle (moving away from the extremes of their parties). In appearances, they seem similar, but if you look under the hood, they are not.
I know I will get take a karma hit for saying these things, but so be it. I am not affraid to speak my mind. Dean is NOT a moderate. He's way too liberal to get the vote of the all important independants. If I remember correctly, I think he's the one that introduced the civil union for homosexuals in Vermont. That's not something that a moderate would do, and it's not what independants want. All poles show that a majority of Americans support a traditional marriage as defined as being between a man and a woman.
The only Democract who stands a chance of beating Bush is Liberman, but unfortunately, he's not liberal enough to win the Democractic party's nomination. It's a shame that the qualities that would allow him to beat Bush are the same ones that won't get him elected.
I think the Democracts will take another hit in Congress again this time because they are not allowing judges to be appointed.
Oh, if Clinton had done his job (instead of getting bjs from Monica) and went after Osama bin Ladin when he started bombing our embacies, we wouldn't have had 911, and we probably would be seeing all this big brother legilation that we are seeing introduced now. Not to mention Bill Clinton LOST HIS COPY OF NUCLEAR CODES!!!! He never found them. That's not a little thing.
Too bad your reverse psychology didn't work. The fans are bitching and complaining now, and they will be during and after the show. The message boards are usually full of complaints with new people deciding not to watch each week. The fans are also tellin all of their friends not to watch it too. There are A LOT of fans they even have an online role playing game for a few years now.
What you don't realise is that a continuation of the original show has been proposed and almost came to light 2 times within the last 4 years. Eventually, the owners of the rights gave the idiot writer Moore all the freedom he wanted.
Re:AOL, service provider, dead at 8
on
AOL: Amazon Who?
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· Score: 1
Make fun of them all you want, but they provide a great service, and they are virtually everywhere in the United States! The offer streaming radio with several channels of music style.
They also offer a call alert feature which is great for dial-up modems. I could get a voice mail box from my phone company, but they can't tell me who is calling (complete information) while I am online!
On top of that, the caller can leave a message, and I have an option of listening to the message while remaining online. In addition, the message is sent to the mailbox of who ever is online, and the message is an MP3 file. Plus they have an option where they while play the tones needed to get you removed from an auto dialer list!
You may not like AOL, but AOL is not just an ISP--they are a content provider! They are inproving their services, and have some inovative things! I can run mozilla and anything else once I am connected.
I usually find that when an author has to resort to sexually explicit story lines in anime and sci-fi that they've run out of really good things to write about. I don't mind occationally inserting a hint at sexual ccontent, but to rely on it completely, is a sign of a poor writer. They writer might as well write the cheap slutty x-rated novels!
Actually, you REALLY don't understand how pissed the fans are at Moore and his re-imagining. Also, I think you don't understand the complete changes that Mr. Moore has written into the script! Imagine having Spock turned into a female Vulcan, and the Klingons friends with the Federaiton in the original series. Those changes don't even compare to what Mr. Moore did.
Some of these fans have been trying to get a continuation since the series left the air waves! Several boycotts and petitions are now involved, and most fans supported Richard Hatches attempt to relaunch the series. He even did a trailor.
They are releasing the original series on DVD later this year! Some of the fans are planning on watching those instead.
Most sci-fi fans don't like the head of the Sci-fi channel. They, and I agree, that she has ruined it. They play more horror than sci-fi. The there's that stupid crossing over guy and scare tactics!
Ronald Moore, of Star Trek fame(he sucked then too), wrote the script, and he based it off of the movie! The movie was the first couple of episodes with a lot cut out. He didn't even bother to watch the WHOLE series! It was just one season. I have it on 5 tapes! I think Mr. Moore needs to rent more porn flicks to vent is addiction to sex (the re-imagining has been called a soft porn flick because of all the sex scenes in it).
Not likely, 90% of the fans were already planning on not watching, and sci-fi (and everybody involved) knows it. The Battlestar Galactica buletin at the sci-fi channel is full of complaints, "I am not going to watch because...", and leaks about the re-imagining of the series. The re-imagining is based off of the Battlestar Galactica movie, and all changes were made based on the so-called flaws of it.
In fact most of them are planning on boycotting anybody who advertises during the mini-series. It's a poor script, and Ronald Moore has a lot of sexual issues (he turned Battlestar Galactica into a soft-porn flick).
I hang out at the Sci-fi Board for Battlestar Galactica. There is very little support for this re-imaging on the boards. In fact, a couple of people started to fabricate A LOT of personalities to generate support for this re-imaging. In fact it pissed off Mr. Moore (Mr. Mooron) that he wrote a note on the web telling the people to knock it off.
I doubt there are a lot of people that will watch it. The only resemblance it has to the original is it's name.
Most of the characters in the re-imagine have major problems and can't be considered heros anymore. Starbuck and Boomer are Females now (just for the sake of the femist cause!)!!! The cylons were made by humans and now look like humans. There is no longer 12 planets with 12 colonies. There is 1 planet with 12 colonies that are technophobic. Baltar doesn't betray the human race on purpose (so he can rule his people). He is seduced by a female cylon.
That just the high-lights. Check out BattlestarGalactica.com and search for the miniseries articles, and check out my earlier comment for more information.
I know I will get my karma marked down, but this needs to be said. The age of the universe is just speculation, and as such, it will change as time goes on when scientists "understand more". As an example, recently, scientists learned that fire, or the effects of fire, can effect the dating done by carbon-14 dating on certain matrials such as linen (carbon is addded to it).
I am sure the age of the Universe will change--just like there view of when planets can form changed with new evidence.
Science hasn't gotten much better than the days when people believed the world was flat. They make guesses and think it's true until what is expected to happen doesn't happen--like when nobody fell off the edge of the flat planet!
The smart artists will tell the Record companies where to go, and then start marketing using the internet to market there products. They can promote their albums by using file swapping. They can pave the way for a new model of salling their products. The reality of the situation is that the record companies are obsolite!
At the last company I worked for, I always ended up doing a quick and dirty solution because time didn't allow the proper way. I did find a compromise. I ended up doing a gradual phase-in of the proper way to do things over the history of the product.
Actually, it could be any number of companies. There are a lot of technology companies in Southern NH and Mass inlcuding Red Hat which has a R&D center in Mass. At one time Sun was in Mass, but I don't know if they still are there.
Usually, I know one way or the other whether or not I will like something, but with the last Star Trek and this movie, I have been unsure--leanning towards not going. Then I hear abotu it from friends and don't go. The Star Trek movie sucked big time. Other than that, do the math yourself:
$4 + my own popcorn, snacks, drinks $8 + $20 worth of snacks + drinks.
You are missing the point. There are people into this that don't go to this extreme that ARE DRIVING illegal cars because the noise level is TOO high...especially with the base turned up. This is just about the extreme high end of the competitors. I know people in my city that work to get their car as loud as they can, but they haven't gone to these extremes.
I will wait for the video to come out. I can't see paying money to see this movie. Before this review it was just a maybe I'll see it, and now I won't waste my money.
I hope they give out ear plugs with the noise they are making. I wish they would arrest these people. Most of of these cars are actually illegal. In fact, most of lesser ones are illegal too because they are too noisy. Most communities have noise regulations, and a lot of these cars shake the walls of nearby buildings. I personally hate them, and when they go by my house, I compare them to the noise of airplanes overhead (sometimes the airplanes are quieter).
The people who have stereo systems like these have no respect for the people around them. Not everyone wants to here the latest crude soundings of the newest rapper with the base turn full volume!
It doesn't sound like TRON either. I don't know what the submitter was thinking. There is not much information given in the article to make those conclusions.
Quit your bitching. You also get bragging rights for an undetermined amount of time. That's worth more than most money prizes (except prizes of $1 million or more {obviously}). You get to say that you designed the slashdot t-shirt.
Even if they are owned by a major company. Major companies have budgets! Not only do they own slashdot, but they sorceforge.net too. These to sites alone provide a lot of service and value to the open source community as a whole. I doubt they are making a profit off of these two sites. In reality, you should be thankful that there is a $75 credit a ThinkGeek. In a downturned economy where a lot of companies are not making a lot of money, this is a good prize. You don't have to enter if you don't like the prize.
I bet you'd see a difference if you programmed c/c++ using ODBC to connect to databases using bound parameters. I was talking to a good friend who does Java programming, and he could think of something in Java that was equal to it--especially since Java doesn't have any pointers. Bound parameters speed things up a lot.
Slashdot Mirror
This is a common practice--especially when a company first goes public. Usually the top people get the most stock in order to insure the boat is not rocked. The top get all the benefits like it is in all thing concerning business. My limited experience has not been positive. One time the stock never got high enough to make it worth excersizing the options, but I didn't spend any money on it.
Sometimes options only go to the top executives, and the lower folk got some type of stock plan to buy stocks, but the lower folk are not garenteed any stockk per say. My last company had a sweet deal before the economy went south. They eventually allowed their employees to buy the stock at the lowest point going back a number of 6 month periods. The stock was then sold to the employee at 85% of the market value on that day, then they put the plan on hold when the economy went south.
I have heard of some people within the last 6 to 12 months taking jobs where they are paid only in stock at start ups. I think it was in the Boston area. There was a time when everyone dealing with Microsoft or employed by them want stock instead of cash, but now things have changed. These people want cash since Microsoft's stock isn't as good as it used to be back in the 90s.
From this article:
... He didn't offer me his old set of codes, however, and I figured now was not a good time to press the issue.
... This time, though, the codes were apparently lost. ... The president finally threw up his hands and said casually, "I just can't find it...dont know where it is."
"It follows the President where ever he goes and is never more that a few steps from his side. It is carried by a military officer who must undergo the nation's most rigorous security background check - the "Yankee White". It contains a secure SATCOM radio and handset, the nuclear launch codes known as the "Gold Codes" and the President's Decision Book - the nuclear playbook that the President would rely on if he would ever have to decide to use nuclear weapons. Its real name is unknown but it is popularly known as "the football". " (Bold added by me).
Notice the bold words. The carrier of the nuclear football was an officer who went through the most rigerous of the security background checks.
The next quote is from Dereliction of Duty by Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, USAF (Ret.) who was one of the people who carried the Nuclear Football for Bill Clinton (and he says in his book he considers Mr. Clinton to be a security risk to the country):
Four days later, on January 21, I was the first person on President Clinton's schedule. At seven in the morning, I was going to give the president his annual nuclear update briefing and his new set of nuclear "go codes." (p.55)
As you can see the President of the US carries around with him the nuclear go codes which are kept in his pocket. This is what Mr. Clinton lost. Now form page 56, in the actual meeting:
I handed him the new card--the biscuit, we called it--with the new codes, which would be effective immediately.
This is where it became evident that something was wrong! Clinton should have handed over the biscuit! Also on page 56, "The biggest security risk was the president himself". A few days later, he writes:
My expectation was that the president would finally return his oldset to us. Instead, President Clinton looked up sheepishly and confessed, "I don't have mine on me. I'll track it down, guys, and get it back to you."
We [Patterson and another military aide] were dumbfounded--the president losing his nuclear codes. He is required to have the codes on him at all times. President Clinton normally kept the world's most sensitive document ruber-banded to his credit cards in his pants pocket.
This proves that not only is it possible for Clinton to have lost the codes, but he actually did! That is irresponcible! It is unknown when he lost them, and that means there is a period of time when the location of our go codes were unknown and a big security risk. This means that if some terrorist got their hands on the codes, then all hell could have broken out! It sounds like a movie but this happened!
Also, at one point, Bill Clinton even was seperated from the Nuclear Football for thirty to forty minutes. That is something that should not happen!!!
Bill Clinton is responcible for 9/11 because he didn't do his job and go after Osama Bin Laden when he started to attack us around the world and as a direct result his is responcible for all the big brother legislation being intorduced in Congress now. If he had actually done his job 9/11 wouldn't have happened, and we probbably wouldn't see the big brother legislation we are seeing now because the mindset of the Government wouldn't be so paranoid. Bill Clinton was one of, if not the number one, worst president of all times
I suggest that you, and others, read this account of someone who carried the Nuclear Football for Mr. Clinton. There is some informative things in there--including stuff on Hillary Clinton (like where the mis
That's why he'd win! Most Americans lean towards Conservative, and a majority wants to end partial birth abortion (then abortion). America is more Conservative than the Democrats realise. The popularity of Fox News and Conservative Talk radio is an example of this. Most Americans can't stand the Left-Wing elite--like Striesand (sp?).
Anyone elected by the current Democract party would be too liberal to actually beat Bush (unless it's Liberman). Candidates have to be closer to the middle than Dean is to get the independant vote! Dean is not moderate. Very few Democratic politions from Vermont are moderate because Vermont is a Democrat and Socialist state.
Actually, the platforms of the two main parties are at odds with each other, but in order to get the vote of all the independants (those choosing no party), both sides try to show they're in the middle (moving away from the extremes of their parties). In appearances, they seem similar, but if you look under the hood, they are not.
I meant to say:
and we probably wouldn't be seeing all this big brother legilation that we are seeing introduced now.
I know I will get take a karma hit for saying these things, but so be it. I am not affraid to speak my mind. Dean is NOT a moderate. He's way too liberal to get the vote of the all important independants. If I remember correctly, I think he's the one that introduced the civil union for homosexuals in Vermont. That's not something that a moderate would do, and it's not what independants want. All poles show that a majority of Americans support a traditional marriage as defined as being between a man and a woman.
The only Democract who stands a chance of beating Bush is Liberman, but unfortunately, he's not liberal enough to win the Democractic party's nomination. It's a shame that the qualities that would allow him to beat Bush are the same ones that won't get him elected.
I think the Democracts will take another hit in Congress again this time because they are not allowing judges to be appointed.
Oh, if Clinton had done his job (instead of getting bjs from Monica) and went after Osama bin Ladin when he started bombing our embacies, we wouldn't have had 911, and we probably would be seeing all this big brother legilation that we are seeing introduced now. Not to mention Bill Clinton LOST HIS COPY OF NUCLEAR CODES!!!! He never found them. That's not a little thing.
Too bad your reverse psychology didn't work. The fans are bitching and complaining now, and they will be during and after the show. The message boards are usually full of complaints with new people deciding not to watch each week. The fans are also tellin all of their friends not to watch it too. There are A LOT of fans they even have an online role playing game for a few years now.
What you don't realise is that a continuation of the original show has been proposed and almost came to light 2 times within the last 4 years. Eventually, the owners of the rights gave the idiot writer Moore all the freedom he wanted.
Make fun of them all you want, but they provide a great service, and they are virtually everywhere in the United States! The offer streaming radio with several channels of music style.
They also offer a call alert feature which is great for dial-up modems. I could get a voice mail box from my phone company, but they can't tell me who is calling (complete information) while I am online!
On top of that, the caller can leave a message, and I have an option of listening to the message while remaining online. In addition, the message is sent to the mailbox of who ever is online, and the message is an MP3 file. Plus they have an option where they while play the tones needed to get you removed from an auto dialer list!
You may not like AOL, but AOL is not just an ISP--they are a content provider! They are inproving their services, and have some inovative things! I can run mozilla and anything else once I am connected.
I usually find that when an author has to resort to sexually explicit story lines in anime and sci-fi that they've run out of really good things to write about. I don't mind occationally inserting a hint at sexual ccontent, but to rely on it completely, is a sign of a poor writer. They writer might as well write the cheap slutty x-rated novels!
What's the piont of a porn flick without nudity? Use your brains man!
Actually, you REALLY don't understand how pissed the fans are at Moore and his re-imagining. Also, I think you don't understand the complete changes that Mr. Moore has written into the script! Imagine having Spock turned into a female Vulcan, and the Klingons friends with the Federaiton in the original series. Those changes don't even compare to what Mr. Moore did.
Some of these fans have been trying to get a continuation since the series left the air waves! Several boycotts and petitions are now involved, and most fans supported Richard Hatches attempt to relaunch the series. He even did a trailor.
They are releasing the original series on DVD later this year! Some of the fans are planning on watching those instead.
Most sci-fi fans don't like the head of the Sci-fi channel. They, and I agree, that she has ruined it. They play more horror than sci-fi. The there's that stupid crossing over guy and scare tactics!
Ronald Moore, of Star Trek fame(he sucked then too), wrote the script, and he based it off of the movie! The movie was the first couple of episodes with a lot cut out. He didn't even bother to watch the WHOLE series! It was just one season. I have it on 5 tapes! I think Mr. Moore needs to rent more porn flicks to vent is addiction to sex (the re-imagining has been called a soft porn flick because of all the sex scenes in it).
Not likely, 90% of the fans were already planning on not watching, and sci-fi (and everybody involved) knows it. The Battlestar Galactica buletin at the sci-fi channel is full of complaints, "I am not going to watch because...", and leaks about the re-imagining of the series. The re-imagining is based off of the Battlestar Galactica movie, and all changes were made based on the so-called flaws of it.
In fact most of them are planning on boycotting anybody who advertises during the mini-series. It's a poor script, and Ronald Moore has a lot of sexual issues (he turned Battlestar Galactica into a soft-porn flick).
I hang out at the Sci-fi Board for Battlestar Galactica. There is very little support for this re-imaging on the boards. In fact, a couple of people started to fabricate A LOT of personalities to generate support for this re-imaging. In fact it pissed off Mr. Moore (Mr. Mooron) that he wrote a note on the web telling the people to knock it off.
I doubt there are a lot of people that will watch it. The only resemblance it has to the original is it's name.
Most of the characters in the re-imagine have major problems and can't be considered heros anymore. Starbuck and Boomer are Females now (just for the sake of the femist cause!)!!! The cylons were made by humans and now look like humans. There is no longer 12 planets with 12 colonies. There is 1 planet with 12 colonies that are technophobic. Baltar doesn't betray the human race on purpose (so he can rule his people). He is seduced by a female cylon.
That just the high-lights. Check out BattlestarGalactica.com and search for the miniseries articles, and check out my earlier comment for more information.
I know I will get my karma marked down, but this needs to be said. The age of the universe is just speculation, and as such, it will change as time goes on when scientists "understand more". As an example, recently, scientists learned that fire, or the effects of fire, can effect the dating done by carbon-14 dating on certain matrials such as linen (carbon is addded to it).
I am sure the age of the Universe will change--just like there view of when planets can form changed with new evidence.
Science hasn't gotten much better than the days when people believed the world was flat. They make guesses and think it's true until what is expected to happen doesn't happen--like when nobody fell off the edge of the flat planet!
The smart artists will tell the Record companies where to go, and then start marketing using the internet to market there products. They can promote their albums by using file swapping. They can pave the way for a new model of salling their products. The reality of the situation is that the record companies are obsolite!
At the last company I worked for, I always ended up doing a quick and dirty solution because time didn't allow the proper way. I did find a compromise. I ended up doing a gradual phase-in of the proper way to do things over the history of the product.
Actually, it could be any number of companies. There are a lot of technology companies in Southern NH and Mass inlcuding Red Hat which has a R&D center in Mass. At one time Sun was in Mass, but I don't know if they still are there.
Usually, I know one way or the other whether or not I will like something, but with the last Star Trek and this movie, I have been unsure--leanning towards not going. Then I hear abotu it from friends and don't go. The Star Trek movie sucked big time. Other than that, do the math yourself:
$4 + my own popcorn, snacks, drinks $8 + $20 worth of snacks + drinks.
You are missing the point. There are people into this that don't go to this extreme that ARE DRIVING illegal cars because the noise level is TOO high...especially with the base turned up. This is just about the extreme high end of the competitors. I know people in my city that work to get their car as loud as they can, but they haven't gone to these extremes.
I will wait for the video to come out. I can't see paying money to see this movie. Before this review it was just a maybe I'll see it, and now I won't waste my money.
I hope they give out ear plugs with the noise they are making. I wish they would arrest these people. Most of of these cars are actually illegal. In fact, most of lesser ones are illegal too because they are too noisy. Most communities have noise regulations, and a lot of these cars shake the walls of nearby buildings. I personally hate them, and when they go by my house, I compare them to the noise of airplanes overhead (sometimes the airplanes are quieter).
The people who have stereo systems like these have no respect for the people around them. Not everyone wants to here the latest crude soundings of the newest rapper with the base turn full volume!
It doesn't sound like TRON either. I don't know what the submitter was thinking. There is not much information given in the article to make those conclusions.
Quit your bitching. You also get bragging rights for an undetermined amount of time. That's worth more than most money prizes (except prizes of $1 million or more {obviously}). You get to say that you designed the slashdot t-shirt.
Even if they are owned by a major company. Major companies have budgets! Not only do they own slashdot, but they sorceforge.net too. These to sites alone provide a lot of service and value to the open source community as a whole. I doubt they are making a profit off of these two sites. In reality, you should be thankful that there is a $75 credit a ThinkGeek. In a downturned economy where a lot of companies are not making a lot of money, this is a good prize. You don't have to enter if you don't like the prize.
I bet you'd see a difference if you programmed c/c++ using ODBC to connect to databases using bound parameters. I was talking to a good friend who does Java programming, and he could think of something in Java that was equal to it--especially since Java doesn't have any pointers. Bound parameters speed things up a lot.