Tell that to those who voted in the first time of their lives where the ballot had more than one option.
Wow, a whole 12 million Iraqis voted. Out of a population of more than 60 Million that's only 1 in 5 that voted.
How many countries has the US "liberated" that didn't have oil lately??
Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Bosnia, nearly Haiti, and, of course, Afghanistan. Of course, this list only goes back to the late 80's, but you did say, "lately".
Panama? Who did the US liberate Panama from? The same person the US supported to begin with. Kuwait? Kuwait does have oil for one thing. A second is that Kuwait was not then and is not now a democracy. It is a sheikdom, ruled by a Sheikh. Haiti? The US used Papa Doc as a bulwark against communism. He is the one Haiti needed to be liberated from. Afghanistan? Though it doesn't produce oil, Afghanistan is building oil pipelines. However now the Taliban, whom Bush gave $43 millions in taxpayer money to, are regaining strength and power.
I care because freedom is everyone's concern. Your loss of freedom is a negative influence on my freedom.
I care because totalitarianism is insidious.
Then I assume you supported the US/British/Spanish/Australian invasion Iraq. I presume you are currently pressing your government to liberate Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia, and Iran, all in the name of freedom of course.
No I didn't support the invasion of Iraq, as it happened. Neither did I support Reagan's and Bush Sr's support for Saddam throughout the 1980s, precisely when he was using WMDs. I'd only support it if the UN or most other countries supported. What I did support is the first Bush president, Bush Sr, having the military go straight to Bagdad when Iraq was repelled from Kuwait. Unfortunately he didn't do that. You know, I'm still waiting to see all of those WMDs Bush said he had.
Again, I haven't lost any freedoms. As for Britain, it sounds like you haven't lost any freedoms either. Privacy while you are in public maybe, but not any freedoms.
you mean you haven't noticed? Do you ever fly? If so have you ever found you're barred from flying because your name, or a similar name, is on one of the Do Not Fly lists? And in 2010 will you be able to fly without showing ID? Also part of being free is being free from government intrusion.
A national ID IS NOT needed, nor is it authorized by the supreme law of the land, the USA Constitution. And it sounds BAD!!!
It sounds simple and less complicated
Less complicated than what? And what for? Why should government be given more power. The scandels the past few months should provide enough evidence government can't be trusted.
Just like Gun Control it only hinders and hurts honest citizens.
It potentially harms citizens. Next thing you know government will be requiring stamps on your sleeves and tatoos on your arms. And yes, I met someone with numbers burned on her arms. About 20 years ago I met a survivor of one of NAZI Germany's concentration camps.
I just came across the border Saturday into Detroit. I wasn't even asked to show my license. Guy asked me about my citizenship and commented on my 74 Blazer and let me through.
Uhm. I've heard of Native American Indians who've been harrassed crossing from Canada to Buffalo, NY. One was on his way to a ceremony and was carrying a pouch with a blend of sacred herbs and he was told he couldn't enter the US with it, even though they have the right to by treaty.
Don't buy the blanks labeled "audio CD" and the tax won't apply to you, friend. Just buy the others and burn your CDs from that.
I don't burn music on cds at all. Heck, I don't even use my computer to listen to music. If I want to listen to music I turn on my stereo. But thanks any, as I said previously I didn't know whether the tax was on all blank or just blank audio cds.
As someone who worked in Florida local media (WTSP-TV in St. Pete), I can tell you that Florida media completely ignores stories of magnitude and focuses on the retarded, weird shit.
Have you heard about how Fox News WTVT (Ch 13) tried to squash news about the health risks Monsanto's BGH, bovine growth hormone, has? A husband and wife team of reporters spent months talking to ranchers, healthcare workers, and scientists about BGH. They were about to air the report when Monsanto called Fox and wanted to review and approve the story first. Seeing as how Monsanto's a big advertizer they got their way. But the reporters refused to let the company edit it so they were fired. Taking the firing to court they sued Fox and eventually won.
I was gonna say that I lived in Toronto, where there are also used CD stores everywhere, then feel all cocky about it... then I remembered the Canadian government is charging a levy on blank CDs. Sigh.
I don't know if it's only audio cds or all of them but the US also has a tax on blank cds. And the money supposed to go to the RIAA.
The States also need to have representation which used to be called the Senate
I don't trust state legislators much more than I do congress. If the states elected the senators I'd trust the feds even less. And I'd be more wary of the states. Tell the truth it's people who need representation in government, state or otherwise. If government weren't so greedy for power it's be different. Afterall it's government that has the most blood on it's hands.
Our current system short circuits our Republic.
As long as there isn't a monarchy there is no danger to a republic. However sometimes it seems there's a threat from King George, er president Bush.
We haven't had freedom in the United States since the 1950s.
Freedom was lost before the 1950s, some freedoms at least. By 1900 the USA didn't have the freedom and liberty Alexis de Tocqueville saw in the 1820-30s and wrote about in Democracy in America.
Unfortunately the States have conceded their representation to the Fed. Now that US Senators are no longer representatives of each state legislature, the states have ZERO say in what the Fed does to them. The 17th amendment should be repealed!
Forget that, I want to be able to vote for the senator that's supposed to represent my interests. Now if you want to talk about repealing an amendment then let's repeal Amendment 12 - Choosing the President, Vice-President. Let every candidate run for president then the winner becomes president and second place is vice president. Of course the Democrats and Republicans will never go for this. They don't want to risk the chance the president will be from one party and the vp from another one.
On a related note, while they have certainly tightened it a bit, the level of security is really not much different than before 2001. It is lax enough that I'm sure plenty of illegal things get through. I know for certain that I could smuggle things across if I were so inclined.
I live in Minneasota which like New York shares a border with Canada and we have roads crossing the border without any check point. Some have a shack or small building on the side of the road. Inside there's a phone you can use, actually you're supposed to use, to call some center to let them know you've crossed the border into the US. But nobody is actually in the building and people just drive through. If someone has enough determination there's no way the authorities can stop them from entering the US from Canada, not between Lake Superior and Puget Sound in Washington/British Colombia.
Isn't a passport essentially the same as a national ID?
No, a passport is not an id. Nor is it supposed to be used like one. A US citizen only needs a passport if they travel outside the US. And even then it's not needed for every country.
the id is useful for delivering services to citizens...
such as national health insurance...
Forget that! I don't want any national healthcare! All that leads to is rationing. I'm all for affordable health insurance for everyone but I oppose mandated nation healthcare run by the government.
at least consolidating one's health records so that you never have to fill out the same idiotic form every time you visit a new doctor
I don't want anyone to be able to see my medical records unless I authorize it. When I go see a new doc I'll bring my medical records from the last doc I saw.
It will also be important if you end up unconscious in the ER and are allergic to the drug they think they need to give you immediately.
There are alert bracelets and Medi Alerts people can get identifying allergies or other medical conditions for healthcare personel.
I believe it is more important to fight for legislation that demands that information is used properly for the right reasons and that all use of personal information be audited and available for individuals on demand.
Secondly it would be a lot easier to carry around then your SS card and birth certificate everytime you want to say go to canada
I've never had to have my SS card or birth certificate to enter Canada. All I've ever needed was my driver's license. Then again the last tyme I was in Canada was a few weeks before 911.
I'm quite sick and tired of places not accepting out of state ID's.
And I'm sick of talk of requiring an ID for many things forget about a national ID. I was born in the land of the free, my dad retired from, and both my sister and I served in the military and I don't want to see it turned into any more a policy state than it currently is. "Papers please". Forget THAT!!!
Besides, credit-cards can already do the same, with the cost being borne by the various commercial interests rather than the government. Additionally, I would be a lot more worried about what the credit-card companies (and their big corporate friends) are planning to do with such information than the federal government.
Ah but no body forces you to use credit cards when you go shopping. With the Real ID the government can and will require it's use. Right now it'll only be for boarding planes but once they get a taste of power it'll be required for more and more things. Government and bureaucracy expand to fill the void. As another/.er's tagline says it's not terrorists who are the greatest threat to liberty, it's government.
Now you build your own machine and put whatever distribution of linux you want on it. Why the hell is preinstallation so important?
Because, unlike the average/.er, most people don't install an OS, they buy a computer with an OS already installed. They just want to get it home, plug it in, and boot it up then use it. Unless and until Linux promoters understand this Linux will never have much of a market share for the desktop.
Ron Paul in '08 - A true small government republican
Ron Paul gets my vote, again. I'm registered no party affiliation now but when the primaries roll around I'll switch to Republican just so I can vote for him then, then I'll switch back afterwards.
The "Einsteins and Hawkins of the world" are producing content while audiophiles (in this instance) are consuming it.
Audiophiles are the demand for high quality sound and therefore spur development of it. And it's not like no audiophiles produce music or the equipment it's played on. Many years ago I knew someone who built stereo equipment specifically because there wasn't any high quality equipment available that was affordable to him. So while he didn't play music himself or sing he did make the equipment and didn't just consume. Me, other than a receiver with a coil wrapped around a cardboard cylinder (many years ago), I haven't really built equipment myself but I used to play a musical instrument. I played the clarinet, and while I haven't played a clarinet in a long tyme I have a flute I want to learn to play.
This should be read as the first nail in the coffin of linux. There is no way that MS will let any other distribution but suse exist; and only then for as long as it takes to kill off ubuntu, etc.
And pray tell, how will this kill off Linux? There's just no way MS can kill linux. They may, just may, gain control over one of the distros but there are many others. Hell even Larry Elison's company Oracle is releasing thier own compleat servers with software, the OS being based on Redhat. If Balmer and/or Gates wants to start a fight Elison may just throw them off his yacht while sailing in the Americas' Cup. And if perchance MS were to start slapping lawsuits on Linux venders or users over "patent violations" then I wouldn't be supprized if MS was slapped with lawsuits as well. And while MS can handle a couple of lawsuits at once it can't handle a bunch of them, and there are literally thousands of programmers who have contributed code to Linux.
Why should audiophiles have to dumbdown their hearing just because others won't notice a difference? By the same token maybe we should also dumbdown the Einsteins and Hawkins of the world.
While on the one hand it is nice to see this pressure to get rid of DRM for "purchased" tracks, it is pretty disappointing to see that the move will also come with an increase in price. They gave us something we didn't want in the first place, and now they're using the taking away of it to justify a higher price? WTF?
The higher price isn't just because drm is not on the sound files, they also have better sound quality. The sampled bit rate is higher so the files are bigger.
Wax cylinders -> Lps -> tapes -> Cds -> downloads
I'm a fan of vinyl EP/LPs and used to have a few hundred records. Lately I've been thinking about getting a new turntable, but first I wanted to make sure I'd be able to buy new EP/LPs. Now I know of two stores within walking distance that sales them, and at one of them somebody directed me to another local shop that has good turntables. Now I'd like to find a reel-to-reel, rtr, tape deck as well as a ready supply of tapes for it and the guy had said the place that sales turntables can direct me to where I get a deck. With my old collection, when I got a new record the first tyme I played it I would record on rtr tape then put it away for safe keeping and listen to the tape. Unfortunately I lost all of them and my equipment while I had them in storage when I moved.
Slashdot Mirror
Tell that to those who voted in the first time of their lives where the ballot had more than one option.
Wow, a whole 12 million Iraqis voted. Out of a population of more than 60 Million that's only 1 in 5 that voted.
How many countries has the US "liberated" that didn't have oil lately??
Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Bosnia, nearly Haiti, and, of course, Afghanistan. Of course, this list only goes back to the late 80's, but you did say, "lately".
Panama? Who did the US liberate Panama from? The same person the US supported to begin with. Kuwait? Kuwait does have oil for one thing. A second is that Kuwait was not then and is not now a democracy. It is a sheikdom, ruled by a Sheikh. Haiti? The US used Papa Doc as a bulwark against communism. He is the one Haiti needed to be liberated from. Afghanistan? Though it doesn't produce oil, Afghanistan is building oil pipelines. However now the Taliban, whom Bush gave $43 millions in taxpayer money to, are regaining strength and power.
FalconI care because freedom is everyone's concern. Your loss of freedom is a negative influence on my freedom.
I care because totalitarianism is insidious.
Then I assume you supported the US/British/Spanish/Australian invasion Iraq. I presume you are currently pressing your government to liberate Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia, and Iran, all in the name of freedom of course.
No I didn't support the invasion of Iraq, as it happened. Neither did I support Reagan's and Bush Sr's support for Saddam throughout the 1980s, precisely when he was using WMDs. I'd only support it if the UN or most other countries supported. What I did support is the first Bush president, Bush Sr, having the military go straight to Bagdad when Iraq was repelled from Kuwait. Unfortunately he didn't do that. You know, I'm still waiting to see all of those WMDs Bush said he had.
FalconIf you can regain your freedom...
Again, I haven't lost any freedoms. As for Britain, it sounds like you haven't lost any freedoms either. Privacy while you are in public maybe, but not any freedoms.
you mean you haven't noticed? Do you ever fly? If so have you ever found you're barred from flying because your name, or a similar name, is on one of the Do Not Fly lists? And in 2010 will you be able to fly without showing ID? Also part of being free is being free from government intrusion.
FalconA national ID sounds good
A national ID IS NOT needed, nor is it authorized by the supreme law of the land, the USA Constitution. And it sounds BAD!!!
It sounds simple and less complicated
Less complicated than what? And what for? Why should government be given more power. The scandels the past few months should provide enough evidence government can't be trusted.
Just like Gun Control it only hinders and hurts honest citizens.
It potentially harms citizens. Next thing you know government will be requiring stamps on your sleeves and tatoos on your arms. And yes, I met someone with numbers burned on her arms. About 20 years ago I met a survivor of one of NAZI Germany's concentration camps.
I just came across the border Saturday into Detroit. I wasn't even asked to show my license. Guy asked me about my citizenship and commented on my 74 Blazer and let me through.
Uhm. I've heard of Native American Indians who've been harrassed crossing from Canada to Buffalo, NY. One was on his way to a ceremony and was carrying a pouch with a blend of sacred herbs and he was told he couldn't enter the US with it, even though they have the right to by treaty.
FalconI don't let audiophiles tell me what bitrate of music is acceptable, just like I don't let Christians tell me who created the Universe.
But you let the RIAA tell you what the bitrate of your music is.
FalconDon't buy the blanks labeled "audio CD" and the tax won't apply to you, friend. Just buy the others and burn your CDs from that.
I don't burn music on cds at all. Heck, I don't even use my computer to listen to music. If I want to listen to music I turn on my stereo. But thanks any, as I said previously I didn't know whether the tax was on all blank or just blank audio cds.
FalconI'm a libertarian who believes in completely nationalizing the power grid.
I am a Libertarian and I support personalizing the power grid.
FalconAs someone who worked in Florida local media (WTSP-TV in St. Pete), I can tell you that Florida media completely ignores stories of magnitude and focuses on the retarded, weird shit.
Have you heard about how Fox News WTVT (Ch 13) tried to squash news about the health risks Monsanto's BGH, bovine growth hormone, has? A husband and wife team of reporters spent months talking to ranchers, healthcare workers, and scientists about BGH. They were about to air the report when Monsanto called Fox and wanted to review and approve the story first. Seeing as how Monsanto's a big advertizer they got their way. But the reporters refused to let the company edit it so they were fired. Taking the firing to court they sued Fox and eventually won.
FalconI was gonna say that I lived in Toronto, where there are also used CD stores everywhere, then feel all cocky about it ... then I remembered the Canadian government is charging a levy on blank CDs. Sigh.
I don't know if it's only audio cds or all of them but the US also has a tax on blank cds. And the money supposed to go to the RIAA.
FalconThe States also need to have representation which used to be called the Senate
I don't trust state legislators much more than I do congress. If the states elected the senators I'd trust the feds even less. And I'd be more wary of the states. Tell the truth it's people who need representation in government, state or otherwise. If government weren't so greedy for power it's be different. Afterall it's government that has the most blood on it's hands.
Our current system short circuits our Republic.
As long as there isn't a monarchy there is no danger to a republic. However sometimes it seems there's a threat from King George, er president Bush.
FalconWe haven't had freedom in the United States since the 1950s.
Freedom was lost before the 1950s, some freedoms at least. By 1900 the USA didn't have the freedom and liberty Alexis de Tocqueville saw in the 1820-30s and wrote about in Democracy in America .
FalconUnfortunately the States have conceded their representation to the Fed. Now that US Senators are no longer representatives of each state legislature, the states have ZERO say in what the Fed does to them. The 17th amendment should be repealed!
Forget that, I want to be able to vote for the senator that's supposed to represent my interests. Now if you want to talk about repealing an amendment then let's repeal Amendment 12 - Choosing the President, Vice-President. Let every candidate run for president then the winner becomes president and second place is vice president. Of course the Democrats and Republicans will never go for this. They don't want to risk the chance the president will be from one party and the vp from another one.
FalconOn a related note, while they have certainly tightened it a bit, the level of security is really not much different than before 2001. It is lax enough that I'm sure plenty of illegal things get through. I know for certain that I could smuggle things across if I were so inclined.
I live in Minneasota which like New York shares a border with Canada and we have roads crossing the border without any check point. Some have a shack or small building on the side of the road. Inside there's a phone you can use, actually you're supposed to use, to call some center to let them know you've crossed the border into the US. But nobody is actually in the building and people just drive through. If someone has enough determination there's no way the authorities can stop them from entering the US from Canada, not between Lake Superior and Puget Sound in Washington/British Colombia.
FalconIsn't a passport essentially the same as a national ID?
No, a passport is not an id. Nor is it supposed to be used like one. A US citizen only needs a passport if they travel outside the US. And even then it's not needed for every country.
Falconthe id is useful for delivering services to citizens...
such as national health insurance...
Forget that! I don't want any national healthcare! All that leads to is rationing. I'm all for affordable health insurance for everyone but I oppose mandated nation healthcare run by the government.
at least consolidating one's health records so that you never have to fill out the same idiotic form every time you visit a new doctor
I don't want anyone to be able to see my medical records unless I authorize it. When I go see a new doc I'll bring my medical records from the last doc I saw.
It will also be important if you end up unconscious in the ER and are allergic to the drug they think they need to give you immediately.
There are alert bracelets and Medi Alerts people can get identifying allergies or other medical conditions for healthcare personel.
I believe it is more important to fight for legislation that demands that information is used properly for the right reasons and that all use of personal information be audited and available for individuals on demand.
Once collected, the info will be ABUSED!!!
FalconIs it a Colt?
FalconSecondly it would be a lot easier to carry around then your SS card and birth certificate everytime you want to say go to canada
I've never had to have my SS card or birth certificate to enter Canada. All I've ever needed was my driver's license. Then again the last tyme I was in Canada was a few weeks before 911.
I'm quite sick and tired of places not accepting out of state ID's.
And I'm sick of talk of requiring an ID for many things forget about a national ID. I was born in the land of the free, my dad retired from, and both my sister and I served in the military and I don't want to see it turned into any more a policy state than it currently is. "Papers please". Forget THAT!!!
FalconBesides, credit-cards can already do the same, with the cost being borne by the various commercial interests rather than the government. Additionally, I would be a lot more worried about what the credit-card companies (and their big corporate friends) are planning to do with such information than the federal government.
Ah but no body forces you to use credit cards when you go shopping. With the Real ID the government can and will require it's use. Right now it'll only be for boarding planes but once they get a taste of power it'll be required for more and more things. Government and bureaucracy expand to fill the void. As another /.er's tagline says it's not terrorists who are the greatest threat to liberty, it's government.
FalconNovel/SUSE becomes the only version of Linux that MS officially supports to work with Windows
However MS has publically stated it will make similar agreements with other Linux venders.
FalconNow you build your own machine and put whatever distribution of linux you want on it. Why the hell is preinstallation so important?
Because, unlike the average /.er, most people don't install an OS, they buy a computer with an OS already installed. They just want to get it home, plug it in, and boot it up then use it. Unless and until Linux promoters understand this Linux will never have much of a market share for the desktop.
FalconRon Paul in '08 - A true small government republican
Ron Paul gets my vote, again. I'm registered no party affiliation now but when the primaries roll around I'll switch to Republican just so I can vote for him then, then I'll switch back afterwards.
FalconThe "Einsteins and Hawkins of the world" are producing content while audiophiles (in this instance) are consuming it.
Audiophiles are the demand for high quality sound and therefore spur development of it. And it's not like no audiophiles produce music or the equipment it's played on. Many years ago I knew someone who built stereo equipment specifically because there wasn't any high quality equipment available that was affordable to him. So while he didn't play music himself or sing he did make the equipment and didn't just consume. Me, other than a receiver with a coil wrapped around a cardboard cylinder (many years ago), I haven't really built equipment myself but I used to play a musical instrument. I played the clarinet, and while I haven't played a clarinet in a long tyme I have a flute I want to learn to play.
FalconThis should be read as the first nail in the coffin of linux. There is no way that MS will let any other distribution but suse exist; and only then for as long as it takes to kill off ubuntu, etc.
And pray tell, how will this kill off Linux? There's just no way MS can kill linux. They may, just may, gain control over one of the distros but there are many others. Hell even Larry Elison's company Oracle is releasing thier own compleat servers with software, the OS being based on Redhat. If Balmer and/or Gates wants to start a fight Elison may just throw them off his yacht while sailing in the Americas' Cup. And if perchance MS were to start slapping lawsuits on Linux venders or users over "patent violations" then I wouldn't be supprized if MS was slapped with lawsuits as well. And while MS can handle a couple of lawsuits at once it can't handle a bunch of them, and there are literally thousands of programmers who have contributed code to Linux.
Falconthose ungrateful audiophiles still aren't happy
Why should audiophiles have to dumbdown their hearing just because others won't notice a difference? By the same token maybe we should also dumbdown the Einsteins and Hawkins of the world.
FalconWhile on the one hand it is nice to see this pressure to get rid of DRM for "purchased" tracks, it is pretty disappointing to see that the move will also come with an increase in price. They gave us something we didn't want in the first place, and now they're using the taking away of it to justify a higher price? WTF?
The higher price isn't just because drm is not on the sound files, they also have better sound quality. The sampled bit rate is higher so the files are bigger.
Wax cylinders -> Lps -> tapes -> Cds -> downloads
I'm a fan of vinyl EP/LPs and used to have a few hundred records. Lately I've been thinking about getting a new turntable, but first I wanted to make sure I'd be able to buy new EP/LPs. Now I know of two stores within walking distance that sales them, and at one of them somebody directed me to another local shop that has good turntables. Now I'd like to find a reel-to-reel, rtr, tape deck as well as a ready supply of tapes for it and the guy had said the place that sales turntables can direct me to where I get a deck. With my old collection, when I got a new record the first tyme I played it I would record on rtr tape then put it away for safe keeping and listen to the tape. Unfortunately I lost all of them and my equipment while I had them in storage when I moved.
Falcon