Oh, I'm in complete agreement with you . . . see my second paragraph above and especially the last sentence. But as this is liberal Slashdot, where "US == EVIL," we'll probably both be modded into oblivion.
He truly was the first modern general. Right before he kicked everyone out of the town and burned Atlanta, he also said, "You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it . . . But, my dear sirs, when peace does come, you may call on me for any thing. Then will I share with you the last cracker, and watch with you to shield your homes and families against danger from every quarter." Sherman hated newspaper reporters too, and wanted to have them all hanged as spys. I wonder if the Iraq War wouldn't have been over long ago if the US had banned all press before the invasion? Like it or not, if you want to WIN, that's how it's done. Thousands of years of human history don't lie. It's all about denying the enemy a support base and destroying the population's will to resist.
I've often said that if Sherman were in charge (I mean *really* in charge as an independent command, and allowed to conduct it as he did the March to the Sea and beyond), the Iraq War would have lasted about six months tops. But because we place the lives of civilians over victory, we have had a long and protracted war in Iraq . . . which is ironic because the "Sherman approach" has higher initial civilian casualties but is over much faster with many fewer total civilian casualties, and the country can be rebuilt that much faster.
. . . it advocates using the same tactics the Iraq insurgents have been using rather successfully since the beginning of the war. Apparently, the US Special Forces get to play by the same rules, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
It always bugs me when someone posts a thinly-veiled rant about how evil the US military is, but gives the insurgents a free pass for the way they conduct their operations. I didn't see anything about beheadings or suicide bombings in your list.
I live in the Baltimore metro area, and the trend here as in Cleveland and Detroit is to bulldoze before it becomes a target for looting or a crackhouse. At least that way there is no expense in preventing / prosecuting associated crime.
That right there has always boggled my mind. Why the hell should drugs need to be marketed? "This is what our drug can treat, this is when you would prescribe it and these are the contraindications" seems to me to be the extent of the "marketing" that should be required for prescription drugs.
You're right. How dare a corporation be allowed to profit on antidepressants, ED drugs, and hair replacement pills so that they're at least somewhat incented to work on financial loss leaders for them, like new HIV treatments which are essentially donated to third world countries? Because, you know, everyone should work for free, out of the goodness of their own heart. Like it or not, said HIV treatments would not exist without the Claritins and Viagras of the world -- only possible via the vast R & D infrastructure and highly paid folks that big pharma provides.
Who said I was single? People moved their families around for jobs all the time.
Besides, who put a gun to these folks' heads and made them take on a mortgage they couldn't afford in case of a rainy day? Sorry, but I have very little sympathy for people who make bad life decisions -- especially those which are monetary in nature -- and then expect others to pay for the consequences of their actions.
Rent or move. When I lived in southern CA, I couldn't buy a house because it was too expensive. I rented. Then, I found a job in another state, where it was cheaper, and was able to buy a house. Why is this so hard?
Number of houses lost to predatory lenders - this is what deregulation is all about
Please provide some concrete numbers differentiating the people who are the victim of "predatory lending" from those who were greedy and signed up for too large a house (along with the two SUVs and the new 52" flat screen they couldn't afford either -- all while saving nothing) -- I'm sure we'd all really like to see those.
When people with no / bad credit can't get mortgages, they sue the government. When the government allows / cajoles / forces banks to give the these subprime borrowers loans they can't pay anyway and they inevitably default, guess what? They sue the government. Those of us who are responsible borrowers are sick of this crap, and sure as hell don't want our tax dollars paying for it. Let the banks and borrowers work it out amongst themselves. Bailing out mortgage defaulters is wrong, just like bailing out Bear Stearns was wrong. Let the market forces work, and the financial and housing industries will be much better off. This is a prime example of how government meddling with markets makes things worse for everyone.
Unfortunately, on this issue the choice is between how many billions of dollars will be spent on this by each candidate (at least a few billion from McCain versus ten billion from Obama so far). I'd love a third option which is, "none -- go back to renting for a few years and maybe next time you'll make smarter decisions with your money."
I guess no one told all those bitter folks clinging to their guns that Obama wants a national ban on Concealed Carry Weapons. I don't think either of those states are even close to being blue this year. Didn't the Democrats learn anything from Gore's defeat in his own home state in 2000?
Security Theater is just that -- a system designed to placate the public that "something is being done" by giving the perception that it's safe to fly. But a certain number of guns, knives, and God knows what else still make it through every day.
You cannot have truly secure airport security without going Israeli-style (i.e., checkpoints a mile away from the terminal, multiple interviewers asking you about your trip and then comparing notes, open pretty much EVERY bag and asking the passengers about the contents, etc.). Yes -- I've flown internationally thru Ben Guiron Airport in Tel Aviv and checking in for the flight back to the States took about 3 hours (and this wasn't even El Al -- it was Continental). It's incompatible with the current American expectation of not being racially profiled and of getting thru security within 20 minutes.
Who gets to define nebulous terms such as "mega-rich," "reasonable proximity," and "limited time"? The state? How do the people who suddenly agree to give up their land ownership rights get to keep the state in check?
And why stop with land ownership? Why not make EVERYTHING -- cars, dwellings, food, computers, you name it -- belong to the community? As a human being born on planet Earth, don't you also have right to these things as well? This would certainly incent people to work harder and do higher quality work -- you know, for the good of the community.
Communism doesn't work 'cuz people want to own stuff.
By your logic, Google is free to pursue any behavior it wants until the US government gets its "own house in order first" -- subject to your approval (or someone who thinks like you).
Yeah, let's give them a free pass to turn over confidential data when they deem fit (when it maximizes shareholder profit) because of the evil US that you hate. Let's let Google run rampant and unchecked because we disagree with US policy, all while it's masquerading behind a years-old startup mantra of "don't be evil." Please. At $582 / share and 25% profit margins (way more than the evil oil companies), no one believes that tired crap anymore. Quit acting like it's 1998 and that they're significantly different than any other publicly-traded company with a lot of cash. They exist to maximize shareholder value, just like every other corporation out there. Period.
It's interesting that the zealots will lash out with various anti-US government off-topic posts whenever their pet idol is in the negative spotlight. Apple folks act much the same here. It's especially interesting in this case that the only reason that companies like Google and Apple are able to exist at all is because of various US policies including private ownership of corporations, relatively low corporate tax rates, no taxation of the Internet and anything related to it, and US patent law (all of which are reviled by most Slashdotters). But I guess none of that matters because of the NSA and Gitmo. Huzzah for being evil!
It's an improvement for digital storage mediums for sure, but still pales in comparison to film-based archiving. Microfilm has a life expectancy of 500 years under proper storage conditions. A film-based archival master backed by multiple digital archival master and "use" copies is still the way to go.
It's like college classes with an attendance policy - if students are not showing up, and attending the class is worthwhile, they're either brilliant and will pass the exams anyway, or they are not brilliant, and will fail the exams because they did not avail themselves of the opportunities presented by class. In those circumstances, an attendance policy is not necessary
Sounds to me like the professor is training their students for the real world -- you know, that terrible thing that happens when college ends. After all, if you're required to work in an office for your job, and you don't show up, you'll get fired. There are lots of things you learn in college which aren't purely academic, and this would be one of them.
Just so long as we keep Republicans and private enterprise the hell away from it.
Yeah, 'cuz only the Republicans have the ability to screw up the energy industry, right? And price-fixing utilities works great, huh? I guess you never heard of the Democraticly contrived and rammed-through electricity deregulation here in MD, (at Enron's bidding, no less!) which led to a 72% increase in electricity prices this year (when the price-fixing scheme was no longer tenable) thanks to our quasi-socialist one-party state legislature. Of course, this was done for "the public's best interest," right? Read up and get educated before spouting off such garbage. You're either an ignorant sheep or a troll.
It could stow away under the seat if you didn't want it...
Haven't flown lately, have you? Airline cabins are so small and the seats so tightly packed that I highly doubt people are going to be willing to give up any of what little leg room is left (more leg room is actually sold as part of premium fare tickets on United, for example). Also, with fuel prices being what they are, the weight-conscious airlines aren't going to be willing to increase the weight of the plane with lots of these things without someone paying for it (e.g., the passengers through higher ticket prices).
Uh oh, better run to the emergency room! I hear they can reattach those things (with minimal impact on your sex life!) if you get there quick enough and keep them in a cooler full of ice on the way . ..
Slashdot Mirror
Oh, I'm in complete agreement with you . . . see my second paragraph above and especially the last sentence. But as this is liberal Slashdot, where "US == EVIL," we'll probably both be modded into oblivion.
He truly was the first modern general. Right before he kicked everyone out of the town and burned Atlanta, he also said, "You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it . . . But, my dear sirs, when peace does come, you may call on me for any thing. Then will I share with you the last cracker, and watch with you to shield your homes and families against danger from every quarter." Sherman hated newspaper reporters too, and wanted to have them all hanged as spys. I wonder if the Iraq War wouldn't have been over long ago if the US had banned all press before the invasion? Like it or not, if you want to WIN, that's how it's done. Thousands of years of human history don't lie. It's all about denying the enemy a support base and destroying the population's will to resist.
I've often said that if Sherman were in charge (I mean *really* in charge as an independent command, and allowed to conduct it as he did the March to the Sea and beyond), the Iraq War would have lasted about six months tops. But because we place the lives of civilians over victory, we have had a long and protracted war in Iraq . . . which is ironic because the "Sherman approach" has higher initial civilian casualties but is over much faster with many fewer total civilian casualties, and the country can be rebuilt that much faster.
. . . it advocates using the same tactics the Iraq insurgents have been using rather successfully since the beginning of the war. Apparently, the US Special Forces get to play by the same rules, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
It always bugs me when someone posts a thinly-veiled rant about how evil the US military is, but gives the insurgents a free pass for the way they conduct their operations. I didn't see anything about beheadings or suicide bombings in your list.
What husband / coder wouldn't love Sux McNutty's Blowjob Chair?
I live in the Baltimore metro area, and the trend here as in Cleveland and Detroit is to bulldoze before it becomes a target for looting or a crackhouse. At least that way there is no expense in preventing / prosecuting associated crime.
That right there has always boggled my mind. Why the hell should drugs need to be marketed? "This is what our drug can treat, this is when you would prescribe it and these are the contraindications" seems to me to be the extent of the "marketing" that should be required for prescription drugs.
You're right. How dare a corporation be allowed to profit on antidepressants, ED drugs, and hair replacement pills so that they're at least somewhat incented to work on financial loss leaders for them, like new HIV treatments which are essentially donated to third world countries? Because, you know, everyone should work for free, out of the goodness of their own heart. Like it or not, said HIV treatments would not exist without the Claritins and Viagras of the world -- only possible via the vast R & D infrastructure and highly paid folks that big pharma provides.
Who said I was single? People moved their families around for jobs all the time.
Besides, who put a gun to these folks' heads and made them take on a mortgage they couldn't afford in case of a rainy day? Sorry, but I have very little sympathy for people who make bad life decisions -- especially those which are monetary in nature -- and then expect others to pay for the consequences of their actions.
Guantanamo Bay
You do understand that McCain has called for closing Guantanamo Bay, don't you?
Rent or move. When I lived in southern CA, I couldn't buy a house because it was too expensive. I rented. Then, I found a job in another state, where it was cheaper, and was able to buy a house. Why is this so hard?
Number of houses lost to predatory lenders - this is what deregulation is all about
Please provide some concrete numbers differentiating the people who are the victim of "predatory lending" from those who were greedy and signed up for too large a house (along with the two SUVs and the new 52" flat screen they couldn't afford either -- all while saving nothing) -- I'm sure we'd all really like to see those.
When people with no / bad credit can't get mortgages, they sue the government. When the government allows / cajoles / forces banks to give the these subprime borrowers loans they can't pay anyway and they inevitably default, guess what? They sue the government. Those of us who are responsible borrowers are sick of this crap, and sure as hell don't want our tax dollars paying for it. Let the banks and borrowers work it out amongst themselves. Bailing out mortgage defaulters is wrong, just like bailing out Bear Stearns was wrong. Let the market forces work, and the financial and housing industries will be much better off. This is a prime example of how government meddling with markets makes things worse for everyone.
Unfortunately, on this issue the choice is between how many billions of dollars will be spent on this by each candidate (at least a few billion from McCain versus ten billion from Obama so far). I'd love a third option which is, "none -- go back to renting for a few years and maybe next time you'll make smarter decisions with your money."
I guess no one told all those bitter folks clinging to their guns that Obama wants a national ban on Concealed Carry Weapons. I don't think either of those states are even close to being blue this year. Didn't the Democrats learn anything from Gore's defeat in his own home state in 2000?
The GIMP . . . (snip) . . . they are the best programs available
Ahhh, such irony can only be found on Slashdot . . . now who's calling who a fanboy?
My guess is that the young women were probably IDF (Israeli army). All Israelis have mandatory three-year service (two years for women) in the IDF.
Security Theater is just that -- a system designed to placate the public that "something is being done" by giving the perception that it's safe to fly. But a certain number of guns, knives, and God knows what else still make it through every day.
You cannot have truly secure airport security without going Israeli-style (i.e., checkpoints a mile away from the terminal, multiple interviewers asking you about your trip and then comparing notes, open pretty much EVERY bag and asking the passengers about the contents, etc.). Yes -- I've flown internationally thru Ben Guiron Airport in Tel Aviv and checking in for the flight back to the States took about 3 hours (and this wasn't even El Al -- it was Continental). It's incompatible with the current American expectation of not being racially profiled and of getting thru security within 20 minutes.
Who gets to define nebulous terms such as "mega-rich," "reasonable proximity," and "limited time"? The state? How do the people who suddenly agree to give up their land ownership rights get to keep the state in check?
And why stop with land ownership? Why not make EVERYTHING -- cars, dwellings, food, computers, you name it -- belong to the community? As a human being born on planet Earth, don't you also have right to these things as well? This would certainly incent people to work harder and do higher quality work -- you know, for the good of the community.
Communism doesn't work 'cuz people want to own stuff.
Who gets to decide who lives where, or how to redistribute land that is "owed" to someone? Me? You? Robert Mugabe?
By your logic, Google is free to pursue any behavior it wants until the US government gets its "own house in order first" -- subject to your approval (or someone who thinks like you).
Yeah, let's give them a free pass to turn over confidential data when they deem fit (when it maximizes shareholder profit) because of the evil US that you hate. Let's let Google run rampant and unchecked because we disagree with US policy, all while it's masquerading behind a years-old startup mantra of "don't be evil." Please. At $582 / share and 25% profit margins (way more than the evil oil companies), no one believes that tired crap anymore. Quit acting like it's 1998 and that they're significantly different than any other publicly-traded company with a lot of cash. They exist to maximize shareholder value, just like every other corporation out there. Period.
It's interesting that the zealots will lash out with various anti-US government off-topic posts whenever their pet idol is in the negative spotlight. Apple folks act much the same here. It's especially interesting in this case that the only reason that companies like Google and Apple are able to exist at all is because of various US policies including private ownership of corporations, relatively low corporate tax rates, no taxation of the Internet and anything related to it, and US patent law (all of which are reviled by most Slashdotters). But I guess none of that matters because of the NSA and Gitmo. Huzzah for being evil!
Anyone have a solution for tethering via USB with Sprint PCS? I've been looking at the Air but so far the lack of this functionality is a showstopper.
It's an improvement for digital storage mediums for sure, but still pales in comparison to film-based archiving. Microfilm has a life expectancy of 500 years under proper storage conditions. A film-based archival master backed by multiple digital archival master and "use" copies is still the way to go.
It's like college classes with an attendance policy - if students are not showing up, and attending the class is worthwhile, they're either brilliant and will pass the exams anyway, or they are not brilliant, and will fail the exams because they did not avail themselves of the opportunities presented by class. In those circumstances, an attendance policy is not necessary
Sounds to me like the professor is training their students for the real world -- you know, that terrible thing that happens when college ends. After all, if you're required to work in an office for your job, and you don't show up, you'll get fired. There are lots of things you learn in college which aren't purely academic, and this would be one of them.
Sure . . . but what's the estimated lifespan of a Sharpie signiature on said-plastic?
. . . they'd probably have to hold a lottery to determine who would get to push the button.
Just so long as we keep Republicans and private enterprise the hell away from it.
Yeah, 'cuz only the Republicans have the ability to screw up the energy industry, right? And price-fixing utilities works great, huh? I guess you never heard of the Democraticly contrived and rammed-through electricity deregulation here in MD, (at Enron's bidding, no less!) which led to a 72% increase in electricity prices this year (when the price-fixing scheme was no longer tenable) thanks to our quasi-socialist one-party state legislature. Of course, this was done for "the public's best interest," right? Read up and get educated before spouting off such garbage. You're either an ignorant sheep or a troll.
It could stow away under the seat if you didn't want it...
Haven't flown lately, have you? Airline cabins are so small and the seats so tightly packed that I highly doubt people are going to be willing to give up any of what little leg room is left (more leg room is actually sold as part of premium fare tickets on United, for example). Also, with fuel prices being what they are, the weight-conscious airlines aren't going to be willing to increase the weight of the plane with lots of these things without someone paying for it (e.g., the passengers through higher ticket prices).
In short, sorry, it won't fly. (Buh-duh tisssh!)
I lost a stone and a half using Gamercize
Uh oh, better run to the emergency room! I hear they can reattach those things (with minimal impact on your sex life!) if you get there quick enough and keep them in a cooler full of ice on the way . . .