So what that ATMs are putting bank tellers out of work. So what that automation has replaced Assembly line work. SO WHAT?
The march of technology has ALWAYS caused market disruption. What do you think happened to the Buggy Whip makers when Automobiles came around? Or the Steam industry when Internal Combustion engines arrived on the scene? You don't think there was disruption? Of course there was. Millions lost their jobs. Of course, those same millions were soon employed in the new industries, and in the THOUSANDS of ancillary industries that popped up around the new technologies.
This is what is called "Creative Destruction". The ability of a new technology to so disrupt the market that the old technology (and the companies that sold it) either change, or are destroyed. It's happened before, it will happen again.
Attempting to stop it only hurts everyone, by both wasting taxpayer money propping up an outdated product or business and by denying people the new technology.
Technology and time marches on. You can't stop it and the more the government meddles, the more miserable we all are.
If we're not willing to pay extra to balance the budget and increase our investment in our own future, then the real funds we can invest in ourselves decrease as more of our tax revenue is devoted to servicing the debt.
(bold emphasis mine)
Egads this drives me nuts.
Let me clue you in on something. Social programs are NOT INVESTMENTS. They are EXPENDITURES. Expenditures that we can no longer afford.
Simply put, the social programs need to be drastically reduced, and the government needs to be forced to go on Zero Base budgeting. We don't have the money, even if the government confiscates every last dime from every American citizen and company, to pay for these programs anymore. We're done.
The Progressive dream of the all-encompassing Nanny State is over and it's time to wake up.
Your answer to the fact that many people won't agree on what to cut is to cut NOTHING, continue to raise expenditures, and then expect people to continue to pay an ever rising burden of taxes? INSANE.
I saw in your other post where you stated that we don't pay ENOUGH in taxes. All that tells me is that you are either a child (IE: Under 18) and pay no taxes, an overpaid college professor, a government employee who depends on other people paying more taxes to pay your salary, or a welfare bum. (or possibly a moron.)
Out here in real America (IE: Middle class taxpayer America) we are being squeezed from all sides. Taxes for this, fees for that, surcharges for this, regulations on that. Money money money. We are being nickle and dimed to DEATH.
ALL government monies come from one place. US. The taxpayers pay for everything. And we simply cannot afford all of this stuff anymore.
PS. We aren't interested in pleasing everyone. Simply in forcing the government to live within it's means.
A ham license might let him operate on different frequencies and with longer range. However the FAA does not allow a radio-control aircraft to operate out of view of the controller under current guidelines.
Incorrect.
Under current guidelines the FAA RECOMMENDS that any SUAS not be operated out of LOS (Line Of Sight) of the operator, but it is only a recommendation, NOT law.
That said, new law that will be coming into effect very soon WILL restrict flights to Line of Sight, but Line of Sight is not tightly defined. So there will be ways around it.
No, they don't. Deficits mean you are spending too much. It's really that simple.
And PLEASE don't talk about the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The combined total of BOTH those wars is still far less than we spend on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security EACH YEAR. (Not that I wouldn't like to cut down on our military adventurism too.)
We have a SPENDING problem. The government is trying to do too much and spending itself into oblivion in the process. It's not a "meme" no matter how much you desperately want to believe it to be. It's reality.
Unless we want to end up like Greece (Is Athens still burning?) we need to end this. Creating fancy new entitlements like Obamacare just make the collapse come that much sooner.
Sorry kids. there is no free lunch. (or free medical care, or free retirement, or free anything.) We simply cannot afford to lie to ourselves about it anymore.
If you watch the video you will see that they aren't giving out stacks of bills in bank bands, but rather shredded note stock compressed into highly dense bricks and mortared together with a flammable medium.
According to the video they burn with roughly the same intensity as brown coal (AKA: Lignite). It's not the greatest fuel ever, but in a country where most homes are still heated by either steam boilers or coal/wood burning stoves, it's an acceptable alternative to either re-circulating the notes and causing hyperinflation (thus worsening the poor's problems by many times over) or having the poor denude the countryside looking for wood to burn. Hungary controls it's money supply AND the poor get free fuel to get them through the winter. Sounds like a good deal to me.
To be precise, it's imagine the entire observable universe in ultraviolet wavelengths.
Not really sure whether that's useful for Google maps. Useful for research though.
That said, I think that privatization is going to be the future of space exploration and study. We simply can no longer afford the budget to run a massive space program on a national level.
NASA should be kept around, but on a level of "spaceport administration" for launch sites. Allow the private companies to launch from NASA sites, but NASA runs and administers them, with their primary mission being the safe launch of space vehicles.
Private companies can contract for use of the spaceport, thus covering NASA's operating costs and eliminating the need to directly fund them.
I've always bought all of my large appliances from a regional appliance store. A place called "Orvilles" (www.orvilles.com) They have great service and great selection.
Could I get a Fridge online? Yeah, Probably. But the shipping costs make it cost just as much as buying it locally. Also, I don't have to worry about it arriving damaged if I buy locally (can still get it delivered at no extra charge). No guarantee when you buy something big like that online.
Small stuff? Yeah. No problem buying that online. It can be packed in bubble-wrap or foam peanuts in a box and arrive undamaged unless seriously abused. A Refrigerator? Nope. It'll either be all banged up, or shipped in a wooden crate so heavy it will cost half the price of the fridge just for delivery.
How do I know this? I've seen it in action. Anyone else ever paid near a grand for a top of the line Microwave and had it arrive looking like it was run over? I have. And you don't want to know what it was like dealing with returns! (Hint: Not good.)
Buy your big stuff locally whenever feasible. If possible, from a smaller local store. Help out your local small business owner AND save yourself a ton of headaches.
And yet, every day we are witness to and victims of the depredations of unelected bureaucrats who trample our civil liberties and freedoms in clear violation of the Constitution and nothing whatsoever is done about it save said bureaucrats having a good chuckle about it over coffee.
Also, if the task of electing that many officials is a problem, then perhaps we could do with an order of magnitude LESS officials. Very few bureaucracies are actually critical to the function of good government. Most could be partly or wholly done away with and nobody would notice, now or in the future.
Smaller, cheaper, leaner and less intrusive government is something every freedom-loving person should want. Those who want MORE government invariably want to use it against YOU.
Prior to this there WERE NO restriction on SUAS use in US airspace. police and the military were ALREADY using SUAS to overfly and surveil citizens and crooks alike.
This bill just ensures that we citizens have the right to both have fun with home brew SUAS tech AND to "Watch the watchers" by flying our own SUAS units.
It also allows regular citizens the room to build and sell SUAS tech and build their own companies to compete against the "Big Boys" in the MIC. So it's generally good overall.
I know everyone here in/. is going to be all up in arms over this as either police state violations of privacy or the "military-industrial complex" attacking citizens (thus the first post) But you all need to know that this was a MUCH less problematic bill than the regulations that the FAA was coming up with ON THEIR OWN.
The FAA was working on a new set of rules and regs that would have put UAV use and development COMPLETELY into the hands of the big military provider companies (Northrop Grumman, Boeing, etc.) Basically they started a new SUAS (Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, the formal name for what we call a UAV) rule process and completely left out ALL the small business and FPV hobbyist (not to mention regular citizen) concerns. The bill passed in Congress is actually a direct reaction to that and is designed to MINIMIZE the lock-in that the "Militray-Industrial complex" has on the sales and USE of SUASs in the United States.
It also has large set-asides for Hobbyist users (such as myself) and for regular citizens to create and use SUAS technology. Basically, it leaves WIDE OPEN the door for regular citizens to "watch the watchers". It's not perfect, and there are some restrictions in there that should be lifted or modified, but it's far and away better than what the unelected FAA members were about to do under the influence of "The Military-Industrial Complex".
This is why I'm conservative. Bureaucracies are by far and away the easiest things for Big Corp. or the MIC to corrupt. Bureaucrats are unelected, unaccountable, and largely uncontrollable. Thus large centralized governments INEVITABLY become corrupt, regardless of how many "controls" we put on them. (in the end, they just ignore the law anyway, so why have them?)
If concerned citizens hadn't started action on this item in time, the FAA's version of the rules would have gone into force and citizens and small businesses would have been completely locked out of SUAS and possibly even HOBBY airplane use. It would have been very bad indeed.
So while I'm not entirely satisfied with the new law, it is FAR better than the alternative we would have received otherwise. (Sadly, because of the existence of over-sized and corrupt bureaucracies like the FAA, the "Just leave us alone" option wasn't available.)
Of course, once nukes are used between superpowers, it's all over for everyone once the fallout settles.
And therefore the carrier group is NOT obsolete because NOBODY sane wants to go into a "Mutually Assured Destruction" scenario.
The only concern we really need have about nukes is from rogue actors and rogue states. And they are unlikely to be attempting to mount a full-frontal assault on a carrier group.
I hate to break it to you, but the moment SOPA and PIPA showed up tea party activists were starting protests. You may not have noticed it because you don't hang around in those circles, but they did.
Just because you are ignorant of the facts doesn't mean they don't exist. Sorry, but the EFF, "nerds" and "The Internet" didn't carry the day here. They did yeoman's work raising awareness, and nobody can take that away. But don't assign credit where it isn't due. The GOP doesn't listen to those groups. They DO Listen to the TEA Party, and opposition from the TEA Party is what carried the day here.
Limited immigration is a core need of every nation-state on the planet. Why not check out the immigration policies of some other countries before you pass judgement on those who would simply like to enforce ours?
Also, "crypto-racism"? Wow. If that's not a far-leftist Orwellian newspeak style word I don't know what is. Creepy.
Then you obviously don't know much about American history.
We have been a generally very religious country since our founding days. It's worked out pretty well for us overall. Of course, we have had our issues, but it's almost always been religion (Christianity in particular) that has been at the forefront of fixing the issues.
Abolition of Slavery? Abilitionism started in Christian churches.
Women's Sufferage in the US? Started by Christian women (Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Susan B. Anthony joined later, but was also a prominent Christian woman.)
Civil Rights? Movement led by Christian churches and one particular Baptist Minister (Dr. Martin Luther King.)
The only "bad" social movement that I can think of in US history attributed to Christians would be the Temperance movement that eventually led to Prohibition. Obviously that didn't last. Everything else has been positive, often overwhelmingly so.
So what is just so horrifying about a country founded and heavily influenced by a group of people who want us all to be free with equal rights?
If you mean: freedom to be an Atheist, then yes. Absolutely. Freedom of Religion also means the freedom to be an Atheist or an Agnostic or simply not care one way or the other.
If you mean: Freedom from ever having to hear or be influenced by anyone else's religion and actively preventing religious people and politicians from acting upon their religious conscience or proposing laws in line with that conscience, (IE: Freedom FROM Religion) then no. That would mean impinging upon someone else's freedom of religion and freedom of expression and would be a violation of the Constitution.
Tea Party types like myself HATE HATE HATE SOPA, PIPA and ACTA. We see them for what they are: power grabs by BOTH the MPAA/RIAA et all AND the government. As a generally conservative/libertarian group of people, we want LESS government intrusion and regulation of our lives. Not more.
So the Tea Party HAMMERED the GOP over this one and unlike the Dems, the GOP LISTENED and responded in the way the people wanted.
There are alot of people on/. that consistently say that there is no difference between the parties. I think this serves as an excellent example of why these people are wrong.
No need to skip out entirely on HD. You can get upscaling DVD players that work really well, and of course you can always go to the used or Indie market for HD quality movies. Combine that with VHS rips of your old movies to hard drive and an XBMC PC and you should be all set!
I notice that there is nothing listed on the Rockbox site about Creative players. Why isn't Creative's Zen line supported? I have a Zen gen1 player I'd love to reflash with a better firmware, mostly because it sounds like fun.
I agree that sending out cards is certainly appropriate and proper, as is including rsvp cards. HOWEVER: Also including a URL, email address, or social media method of response is certainly appropriate. That allows your guests the maximum number of response paths, and lets them choose which one they are most comfortable with using. It shows thoughtfulness for your guests, and puts the onus for the extra labor on yourself, thus showing that your guests are worth the effort.
Also, to the original question writer, if you are the guy, remember that if you want to do something special and cool for the invitations:
A) Respect your fiance's wishes. If she doesn't like the idea, DROP IT. B) If she does like the idea, OWN IT. Ensure that you take complete responsibility for compiling the guest list, gathering the snail mail addresses, packaging and sending the invitations, and collecting and collating the responses. Don't shut her out, of course, but take the lead in getting your cool idea done. Trust me, she has more than enough to do to get ready for the wedding, taking one of the most tedious and boring jobs off her plate will be greatly appreciated.
If you are the girl, well then I guess the same general rules apply, but be aware that you will be making lots more work for yourself, unless your man is majorly into handling some other aspect of the wedding, or you guys are taking a more egalitarian approach to the wedding than most western folks do.
Regardless, Congratulations and I wish you both all the best in your future life together. Also, always remember; True Love isn't something we are "in" as though it were a trap to fall into. True Love is a conscious choice we make every day to set our partner's needs ahead of our wants. As long as both partners do that every day, a solid marriage follows. Good luck you two!
Of course there is. It's readily available for those who look. Start here and then spend some time over at wattsupwiththat.com. More scientific evidence than you can shake a hockey stick at.
Most of it shows that most of the globe was warmer about 700 years ago, and it was pretty damn awesome. More arable land everywhere (warmer AND wetter climate) generally milder weather patterns, and an extended growing season allowed civilization to flourish. Good times.
Unfortunately, it's looking like we are actually heading into an extended cooling period until roughly 2068 or thereabouts. In a way, I almost wish that AGW was true. I'd have more hope for our future. If things progress the way that the evidence shows, pack a parka. You'll need it.
I personally expect every kind of ad save Google Adwords and other Google-based ads to be equally punished after awhile. Google makes their money primarily from advertising. Why in the world would they help people who buy from their competitors? Makes perfect sense.
Oh, and before anyone gets all upset, this isn't "monopoly behavior" This is just smart business. You don't help your competitor advertise, particularly on your own network. When was the last time you saw an ad for the CBS evening lineup on ABC or NBC? (Hint: Never)
If you are uncomfortable with this arrangement, may I suggest Bing or Ask as alternative search engines?
Slashdot Mirror
I would counter with this:
"So what?"
So what that ATMs are putting bank tellers out of work. So what that automation has replaced Assembly line work. SO WHAT?
The march of technology has ALWAYS caused market disruption. What do you think happened to the Buggy Whip makers when Automobiles came around? Or the Steam industry when Internal Combustion engines arrived on the scene? You don't think there was disruption? Of course there was. Millions lost their jobs. Of course, those same millions were soon employed in the new industries, and in the THOUSANDS of ancillary industries that popped up around the new technologies.
This is what is called "Creative Destruction". The ability of a new technology to so disrupt the market that the old technology (and the companies that sold it) either change, or are destroyed. It's happened before, it will happen again.
Attempting to stop it only hurts everyone, by both wasting taxpayer money propping up an outdated product or business and by denying people the new technology.
Technology and time marches on. You can't stop it and the more the government meddles, the more miserable we all are.
(bold emphasis mine)
Egads this drives me nuts.
Let me clue you in on something. Social programs are NOT INVESTMENTS. They are EXPENDITURES. Expenditures that we can no longer afford.
Simply put, the social programs need to be drastically reduced, and the government needs to be forced to go on Zero Base budgeting. We don't have the money, even if the government confiscates every last dime from every American citizen and company, to pay for these programs anymore. We're done.
The Progressive dream of the all-encompassing Nanny State is over and it's time to wake up.
So, let me get this straight:
Your answer to the fact that many people won't agree on what to cut is to cut NOTHING, continue to raise expenditures, and then expect people to continue to pay an ever rising burden of taxes? INSANE.
I saw in your other post where you stated that we don't pay ENOUGH in taxes. All that tells me is that you are either a child (IE: Under 18) and pay no taxes, an overpaid college professor, a government employee who depends on other people paying more taxes to pay your salary, or a welfare bum. (or possibly a moron.)
Out here in real America (IE: Middle class taxpayer America) we are being squeezed from all sides. Taxes for this, fees for that, surcharges for this, regulations on that. Money money money. We are being nickle and dimed to DEATH.
ALL government monies come from one place. US. The taxpayers pay for everything. And we simply cannot afford all of this stuff anymore.
PS. We aren't interested in pleasing everyone. Simply in forcing the government to live within it's means.
Incorrect.
Under current guidelines the FAA RECOMMENDS that any SUAS not be operated out of LOS (Line Of Sight) of the operator, but it is only a recommendation, NOT law.
That said, new law that will be coming into effect very soon WILL restrict flights to Line of Sight, but Line of Sight is not tightly defined. So there will be ways around it.
No, they don't. Deficits mean you are spending too much. It's really that simple.
And PLEASE don't talk about the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The combined total of BOTH those wars is still far less than we spend on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security EACH YEAR. (Not that I wouldn't like to cut down on our military adventurism too.)
We have a SPENDING problem. The government is trying to do too much and spending itself into oblivion in the process. It's not a "meme" no matter how much you desperately want to believe it to be. It's reality.
Unless we want to end up like Greece (Is Athens still burning?) we need to end this. Creating fancy new entitlements like Obamacare just make the collapse come that much sooner.
Sorry kids. there is no free lunch. (or free medical care, or free retirement, or free anything.) We simply cannot afford to lie to ourselves about it anymore.
Not really.
If you watch the video you will see that they aren't giving out stacks of bills in bank bands, but rather shredded note stock compressed into highly dense bricks and mortared together with a flammable medium.
According to the video they burn with roughly the same intensity as brown coal (AKA: Lignite). It's not the greatest fuel ever, but in a country where most homes are still heated by either steam boilers or coal/wood burning stoves, it's an acceptable alternative to either re-circulating the notes and causing hyperinflation (thus worsening the poor's problems by many times over) or having the poor denude the countryside looking for wood to burn. Hungary controls it's money supply AND the poor get free fuel to get them through the winter. Sounds like a good deal to me.
Grr typos! It's IMAGING the entire observable universe.
(Of course, Firefox spell check didn't see it because it's spelled correctly. FF doesn't know it's the wrong word.)
To be precise, it's imagine the entire observable universe in ultraviolet wavelengths.
Not really sure whether that's useful for Google maps. Useful for research though.
That said, I think that privatization is going to be the future of space exploration and study. We simply can no longer afford the budget to run a massive space program on a national level.
NASA should be kept around, but on a level of "spaceport administration" for launch sites. Allow the private companies to launch from NASA sites, but NASA runs and administers them, with their primary mission being the safe launch of space vehicles.
Private companies can contract for use of the spaceport, thus covering NASA's operating costs and eliminating the need to directly fund them.
I've always bought all of my large appliances from a regional appliance store. A place called "Orvilles" (www.orvilles.com) They have great service and great selection.
Could I get a Fridge online? Yeah, Probably. But the shipping costs make it cost just as much as buying it locally. Also, I don't have to worry about it arriving damaged if I buy locally (can still get it delivered at no extra charge). No guarantee when you buy something big like that online.
Small stuff? Yeah. No problem buying that online. It can be packed in bubble-wrap or foam peanuts in a box and arrive undamaged unless seriously abused. A Refrigerator? Nope. It'll either be all banged up, or shipped in a wooden crate so heavy it will cost half the price of the fridge just for delivery.
How do I know this? I've seen it in action. Anyone else ever paid near a grand for a top of the line Microwave and had it arrive looking like it was run over? I have. And you don't want to know what it was like dealing with returns! (Hint: Not good.)
Buy your big stuff locally whenever feasible. If possible, from a smaller local store. Help out your local small business owner AND save yourself a ton of headaches.
And yet, every day we are witness to and victims of the depredations of unelected bureaucrats who trample our civil liberties and freedoms in clear violation of the Constitution and nothing whatsoever is done about it save said bureaucrats having a good chuckle about it over coffee.
Also, if the task of electing that many officials is a problem, then perhaps we could do with an order of magnitude LESS officials. Very few bureaucracies are actually critical to the function of good government. Most could be partly or wholly done away with and nobody would notice, now or in the future.
Smaller, cheaper, leaner and less intrusive government is something every freedom-loving person should want. Those who want MORE government invariably want to use it against YOU.
Oh, a last point I forgot to mention;
Prior to this there WERE NO restriction on SUAS use in US airspace. police and the military were ALREADY using SUAS to overfly and surveil citizens and crooks alike.
This bill just ensures that we citizens have the right to both have fun with home brew SUAS tech AND to "Watch the watchers" by flying our own SUAS units.
It also allows regular citizens the room to build and sell SUAS tech and build their own companies to compete against the "Big Boys" in the MIC. So it's generally good overall.
I know everyone here in /. is going to be all up in arms over this as either police state violations of privacy or the "military-industrial complex" attacking citizens (thus the first post) But you all need to know that this was a MUCH less problematic bill than the regulations that the FAA was coming up with ON THEIR OWN.
The FAA was working on a new set of rules and regs that would have put UAV use and development COMPLETELY into the hands of the big military provider companies (Northrop Grumman, Boeing, etc.) Basically they started a new SUAS (Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, the formal name for what we call a UAV) rule process and completely left out ALL the small business and FPV hobbyist (not to mention regular citizen) concerns. The bill passed in Congress is actually a direct reaction to that and is designed to MINIMIZE the lock-in that the "Militray-Industrial complex" has on the sales and USE of SUASs in the United States.
It also has large set-asides for Hobbyist users (such as myself) and for regular citizens to create and use SUAS technology. Basically, it leaves WIDE OPEN the door for regular citizens to "watch the watchers". It's not perfect, and there are some restrictions in there that should be lifted or modified, but it's far and away better than what the unelected FAA members were about to do under the influence of "The Military-Industrial Complex".
This is why I'm conservative. Bureaucracies are by far and away the easiest things for Big Corp. or the MIC to corrupt. Bureaucrats are unelected, unaccountable, and largely uncontrollable. Thus large centralized governments INEVITABLY become corrupt, regardless of how many "controls" we put on them. (in the end, they just ignore the law anyway, so why have them?)
If concerned citizens hadn't started action on this item in time, the FAA's version of the rules would have gone into force and citizens and small businesses would have been completely locked out of SUAS and possibly even HOBBY airplane use. It would have been very bad indeed.
So while I'm not entirely satisfied with the new law, it is FAR better than the alternative we would have received otherwise. (Sadly, because of the existence of over-sized and corrupt bureaucracies like the FAA, the "Just leave us alone" option wasn't available.)
And therefore the carrier group is NOT obsolete because NOBODY sane wants to go into a "Mutually Assured Destruction" scenario.
The only concern we really need have about nukes is from rogue actors and rogue states. And they are unlikely to be attempting to mount a full-frontal assault on a carrier group.
Cult film quote FAIL.
Actual quote:
Cop: "Are you classified as 'human'?"
Korben Dallas: "Negative, I am a meat popsicle".
Next I suspect you'll be quoting "Droth Vinder" as he says; "I am your Uncle!" to "Luc Solo".
Ugh.
I hate to break it to you, but the moment SOPA and PIPA showed up tea party activists were starting protests. You may not have noticed it because you don't hang around in those circles, but they did.
Just because you are ignorant of the facts doesn't mean they don't exist. Sorry, but the EFF, "nerds" and "The Internet" didn't carry the day here. They did yeoman's work raising awareness, and nobody can take that away. But don't assign credit where it isn't due. The GOP doesn't listen to those groups. They DO Listen to the TEA Party, and opposition from the TEA Party is what carried the day here.
You don't have to like it, but it is true.
Limited immigration is a core need of every nation-state on the planet. Why not check out the immigration policies of some other countries before you pass judgement on those who would simply like to enforce ours?
Also, "crypto-racism"? Wow. If that's not a far-leftist Orwellian newspeak style word I don't know what is. Creepy.
Uhh.. Last I checked you can go to pretty much any bar and get a drink. Prohibition ended decades ago. What time warp did you step out of, Daddy-O?
Then you obviously don't know much about American history.
We have been a generally very religious country since our founding days. It's worked out pretty well for us overall. Of course, we have had our issues, but it's almost always been religion (Christianity in particular) that has been at the forefront of fixing the issues.
Abolition of Slavery? Abilitionism started in Christian churches.
Women's Sufferage in the US? Started by Christian women (Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Susan B. Anthony joined later, but was also a prominent Christian woman.)
Civil Rights? Movement led by Christian churches and one particular Baptist Minister (Dr. Martin Luther King.)
The only "bad" social movement that I can think of in US history attributed to Christians would be the Temperance movement that eventually led to Prohibition. Obviously that didn't last. Everything else has been positive, often overwhelmingly so.
So what is just so horrifying about a country founded and heavily influenced by a group of people who want us all to be free with equal rights?
Depends on how you mean it.
If you mean: freedom to be an Atheist, then yes. Absolutely. Freedom of Religion also means the freedom to be an Atheist or an Agnostic or simply not care one way or the other.
If you mean: Freedom from ever having to hear or be influenced by anyone else's religion and actively preventing religious people and politicians from acting upon their religious conscience or proposing laws in line with that conscience, (IE: Freedom FROM Religion) then no. That would mean impinging upon someone else's freedom of religion and freedom of expression and would be a violation of the Constitution.
Tea Party types like myself HATE HATE HATE SOPA, PIPA and ACTA. We see them for what they are: power grabs by BOTH the MPAA/RIAA et all AND the government. As a generally conservative/libertarian group of people, we want LESS government intrusion and regulation of our lives. Not more.
So the Tea Party HAMMERED the GOP over this one and unlike the Dems, the GOP LISTENED and responded in the way the people wanted.
There are alot of people on /. that consistently say that there is no difference between the parties. I think this serves as an excellent example of why these people are wrong.
No need to skip out entirely on HD. You can get upscaling DVD players that work really well, and of course you can always go to the used or Indie market for HD quality movies. Combine that with VHS rips of your old movies to hard drive and an XBMC PC and you should be all set!
Have fun!
I notice that there is nothing listed on the Rockbox site about Creative players. Why isn't Creative's Zen line supported? I have a Zen gen1 player I'd love to reflash with a better firmware, mostly because it sounds like fun.
So what's wrong with options?
I agree that sending out cards is certainly appropriate and proper, as is including rsvp cards. HOWEVER: Also including a URL, email address, or social media method of response is certainly appropriate. That allows your guests the maximum number of response paths, and lets them choose which one they are most comfortable with using. It shows thoughtfulness for your guests, and puts the onus for the extra labor on yourself, thus showing that your guests are worth the effort.
Also, to the original question writer, if you are the guy, remember that if you want to do something special and cool for the invitations:
A) Respect your fiance's wishes. If she doesn't like the idea, DROP IT.
B) If she does like the idea, OWN IT. Ensure that you take complete responsibility for compiling the guest list, gathering the snail mail addresses, packaging and sending the invitations, and collecting and collating the responses. Don't shut her out, of course, but take the lead in getting your cool idea done. Trust me, she has more than enough to do to get ready for the wedding, taking one of the most tedious and boring jobs off her plate will be greatly appreciated.
If you are the girl, well then I guess the same general rules apply, but be aware that you will be making lots more work for yourself, unless your man is majorly into handling some other aspect of the wedding, or you guys are taking a more egalitarian approach to the wedding than most western folks do.
Regardless, Congratulations and I wish you both all the best in your future life together. Also, always remember; True Love isn't something we are "in" as though it were a trap to fall into. True Love is a conscious choice we make every day to set our partner's needs ahead of our wants. As long as both partners do that every day, a solid marriage follows. Good luck you two!
Of course there is. It's readily available for those who look. Start here and then spend some time over at wattsupwiththat.com. More scientific evidence than you can shake a hockey stick at.
Most of it shows that most of the globe was warmer about 700 years ago, and it was pretty damn awesome. More arable land everywhere (warmer AND wetter climate) generally milder weather patterns, and an extended growing season allowed civilization to flourish. Good times.
Unfortunately, it's looking like we are actually heading into an extended cooling period until roughly 2068 or thereabouts. In a way, I almost wish that AGW was true. I'd have more hope for our future. If things progress the way that the evidence shows, pack a parka. You'll need it.
No need to duck. You are likely correct.
I personally expect every kind of ad save Google Adwords and other Google-based ads to be equally punished after awhile. Google makes their money primarily from advertising. Why in the world would they help people who buy from their competitors? Makes perfect sense.
Oh, and before anyone gets all upset, this isn't "monopoly behavior" This is just smart business. You don't help your competitor advertise, particularly on your own network. When was the last time you saw an ad for the CBS evening lineup on ABC or NBC? (Hint: Never)
If you are uncomfortable with this arrangement, may I suggest Bing or Ask as alternative search engines?