A final note - one of the reasons this issue torques me so much is that Verizon has run fiber through my yard. They're more than willing to expect right-of-way through my property, but they steadfastly refuse to provide me with a service I'm more than willing to pay for. The State mandates that I allow this, so I don't have any recourse short of getting elected Governor. And before you comment that I get indirect benefit from the fiber, no I don't. The fiber in question isn't a backbone, it's a last-mile bundle installed to service another community.
Heh. Too bad you couldn't get away with driving about 8 feet of re-bar into the ground for that new mailbox that "accidentally" pierces straight through that cable. Oops! Sorry! Then do the same thing next week for one of those yard decorations that spin/rotate with the wind, then the week after that...well...you get my point. I know, you'd get fined and maybe even charged criminally for repeated damage. How angry are your neighbors though? If there were hundreds and hundreds all doing the same thing in protest, it might gain some national attention to the issue.
The township where I live has an exclusive service agreement with Charter, so no competition, which sucks as they let the local cable lines go to crap and outages and generally-crappy service is the norm. One of my nieces' kids is friends with one of the townships' councilmans' kids, and the councilmans' kid bragged to my nieces' kid about how "we get free everything from Charter because my daddy's an important councilman!".
These service agreements should be done away with. They stifle competition and promote corruption.
Not one man or woman, not one penny for the imperialist war! Mobilize workers power on the road to international socialist revolution! Defend Cuba, China, North Korea and Vietnam against capitalist counterrevolution and imperialist aggression! For new October revolutions an a reforged Leninist-Trotskyist Fourth International!
Heh. Where do you nutcases come from, anyway?
Fox News: Will manufacture enemies for food and viewers.
No, you've mixed your biases/networks. That was a communist/socialist troll. Fox News is claimed to be biased right. NBC/MSNBC/ABC...well...practically all the others...are claimed to be biased left, so would be the more sensible guess as to a leftist, pro-socialist/communist trollers' favorite network.
...allow independent artists to profit from their hard work.
That part is precisely what the media cartels *don't* want to have happen, and what is in large part the reason for all the stupid crap they've been doing or attempting, like killing internet streaming radio and destroying the entire concept of copyrighted works entering public domain. They want to control distribution and access to distribution, as well as control artists' very ability to build on the past work of others to create independent works, in the same way that all advances are built on the work of others before.
Their business model is dependent on their ability to sit in the middle as gatekeepers and screw over both ends...the artists and the consumers by being the only game in town. How are they going to be able to get artists to sign ridiculously-usurious, one-sided contracts if the artists were to have an alternate viable means to distribute their work? Why would consumers buy locked-down, overpriced, marketing-formula-designed & created corporate pablum if they could buy directly from artists who don't use marketing software to "write" their "next big hit"?
This rape & pillage of our culture, public domain, and the violation of the rule of law and the spirit (if not the letter of) the Constitution with the cooperation of greedy and corrupt politicians is an affront to all people, and no better than an organized-crime operation. In fact it's worse, as politicians are at the least scandalized by revelations that they accepted money from someone like a "Don Corleone"-type mob boss and sponsored legislation on their behalf to prop up their extortion racket, yet take money openly from *these* racketeers, even bragging how they're "protecting US business". Sickening.
Wow BlueStrat, we have had disagreements before, but this time you are spot-on! (US does not donate the most per capita, but we are not all that bad either).
Very strange to see eye-to-eye with you. Posting A/C since this is off-topic...slashtivus..
Ah, Slashtivus! Yes, I remember our discussions.:)
I admire your intellectual honesty in saying that. Bravo, sir! Intellectual honesty is something that is in short supply when any topic involving the USA comes up. Likewise, I don't always (rarely?:P ) agree with your opinions, but I'd be honest enough to admit when I did, and back you up.
As to the USA not donating as much per-capita, I look at it as a testament to the USAs' economic strength brought about by our freedoms. The fact that we don't *have to* burden our citizens by contributing as much per-capita to out-contribute every other nation on the planet should be more reason for other nations to take some tips on allowing their peoples more freedom, rather than to harp on the USA for not needing to burden their people as much, yet still do more good.
To paraphrase a modern urban saying, "don't hate the player (the USA) hate the game (your particular nations' self-limitations regarding economic & civil freedom and economic growth)". Of course, USA-hating is a convenient distraction from having to think about (and maybe having to actually work to change) what their nations' leadership is doing (or not doing).
Ah because the good old US of A is the perfect country where sunshine flows out of the assholes of the general population.
Try reading my post. I said the US makes mistakes and blunders. Apparently reading (and comprehension) is NOT fundamental for you.
Do you even realise that you get taught a biased version of world events?
I don't depend on any one source, or any one nations' sources for my information. They now have this wonderful thing called the "internet" now. You probably know it as that thing Al Gore invented. (Yes, that's sarcasm.)
Actually the EU provides more official foreign development aid than the US. http://www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=3558 The EU states of France germany and the UK alone beat the US and when you consider how much wealthier the US is those countries are giving twice the percentage of Gross National Income that the US is. Now that's no reason to knock the US, any donation is a help when it comes to these things.
So, you quote some private non-governmental organization with a vested interest in pressuring the richer countries to contribute more and that uses statistics (lies, damn lies, and statistics) to "prove" the US isn't "doing it's fair share". Here's a news flash Bunky...WE DON"T OWE ANYONE A DAMNED THING! We give and in the amount we choose because that is OUR prerogative, not yours or anyone elses.
But but but but...fox news said america is the only country in the world that ever does anything good!!!!!
This is the second time you've mentioned Fox News in this one post. Obsess, much?
On balance I'd call the US a positive force in the world...
I agree.:)
...but you seem to believe that that translates to "nobody should ever point out when US does something of questionable morality, amnesty international shouldn't even look at the US!"
Nice strawman you've built there. I never said that. I don't believe that. I *do* believe that Amnesty International has become politicized and has become a tool of the more left-leaning ideologues in recent times, which is sad. Especially for those to whom they could be devoting those resources that are instead being used to wage political/ideological attacks.
First- Check your fact.
*I* have, but in your case it's apparent that there are none so blind as those that refuse to see.
Second- stop with the fucking persecution complex.
Right. Because everyone knows that the US never gets unfairly-bashed, especially on/. .
By the way, how is that whole Darfur thing working out for you guys? I'm sure you must have it well in hand by now, no? After all, you *are* so much more caring than the "E-vil" USA...right?
It's ok, son...when you gain some age & maturity, you'll be able to separate your emotions from logic and actual history, and be able to think these things through more clearly.
the loss of Japanese lives would have been far higher if America had invaded... rather than accept the offers of surrender made before the atomic bombs were ever droped... oh... wait... they don't bother teaching that bit in American highschools do they?
You've already had this debunked for you a number of times. Why do you persist with this, for all practical purposes and to all reasonable evaluation, fantasy? Well, I suppose it's understandable...no reason to let facts get in the way of a good US-bashing.
[sarcasm]
I'm certain that if there were to be a humanitarian disaster of some sort in your location, you'd stand on principle and not accept help from the horrible, awful, war-criminals of the USA to save yourself and those you love.
I'm sure that you'll be able to count on a massive relief effort that's sure to be mounted by either Russia, China, N. Korea, Iran, or Syria. I can see how they and the US-bashing European nations are mobilizing to assist in Darfur, so I'm sure you'll be just fine.
[/sarcasm]
I just love how so many nations and people that are so quick to condemn the US are even quicker to take US foreign-aid and humanitarian relief. No other nation does as much to help others as the US. The fact that we do it despite all the bashing and back-stabbing by those we help when other nations who could help won't and criticize the US for not doing enough pretty well says all there is to say.
Even in wars and military conflicts the US takes more pains to avoid innocent deaths than any other nation, even sacrificing non-trivial numbers of US lives to that end, and we're still demonized. Yet we don't abandon our principles and simply level entire nations and decimate entire populations as we could do without even trying.
Sure, the USA makes mistakes and blunders. We and our leaders are human. Yes, we'll look out for our interests as every other nation does. Despite this, we still do more to help those in need around the world (even our self-sworn enemies) than any other nation on the planet.
Go ahead, mods...do your worst. My karma is excellent. In more ways than one.
Look at whatever economic or social statistics you want about the terrorist-sponsoring & harboring anti-West countries of the Middle-East and you'll see that the terrorist-sponsoring & harboring anti-West countries of the Middle-East have more important problems to address. By diverting attention to this kind of rabid hatred for the West & radical Islam, these Middle-East political & religious leaders expose themselves as the asshats they really are and reinforce negative stereotypes of their countries.
There, fixed that for you in a way that demonstrates that this is not a new idea, and has been used widely to distract the populace from the poor decisions, greed, inaction, and cowardice of their leaders.
Blame the major recording labels and their bought-and-paid-for congress-critters. This is purely the result of the major content producers'/distributors' attempts to kill off internet radio because they don't control it. This isn't about copyright, royalties, or any of that noise. It's about controlling distribution and what people see/hear. If they can't control it, they'll try everything they can to kill it.
Also, expect many countries outside the US to eventually follow along as treaties are signed to "harmonize" IP laws.
I'm afraid this whole thing (the attempts by the major content distributors to outlaw/regulate/legislate the way the internet works) is going to get really ugly before it's over.
I really get frustrated when doublespeak is acceptable. It's like the question, "Are prisoners in Guantanamo being tortured?" If they weren't being tortured, they would be in New York state, sitting in the same jail cells we use for other suspected murderers. The fact that anyone is asking the question is mind-boggling.
Well, there's also the slight difference that the average prisoner you find in a New York state prison, if escaped, might knock off a bank or a 7-11, or even kill a couple people. For the most part these average prisoners also value their own lives.
These guys in Guantanamo (that have hands-on experience with small arms and improvised explosives/chemical weapons), if they escaped, would be attempting kill as many people as possible and destroy as much as they could and wouldn't be caring if they died in the process. Myself, I'm very very glad there's roughly a hundred miles of ocean between them and the US.
Similarly, any company that sets up in a small country that they do no business in is obviously up to something. Otherwise they wouldn't be there.
As to the US corporations in TFA, it's no surprise they'd want to reduce their tax burdens. The US is already one of the, if not the highest-taxed and most expensive countries for a corporation to be based/headquartered in.
They are competing globally against other corporations & businesses that don't have to pay the overhead that they, if they were based/headquartered in the US, would have to pay. By increasing the tax and regulatory compliance burdens the US will lose that revenue one way or another...either the corporation/business will offshore or fail.
If the new administration raises corporate taxes & operating expenses further, expect more corporations & businesses to join the exodus, fail, or simply never start up in the US to begin with. Of course, the government could always take over the corporation/business to prevent this. This hasn't worked out so well historically for others, though.
Ray, I'm a musician (just an indy blues player/songwriter in a blues band) and a fan of yours. I cheer your courage in standing up to these scumbags. I worry about you though. I'm sure I'm not alone.
I hope you figuratively/legally tear 'em a new one, but I also hope you pay proper attention to personal security. I doubt anyone that would conduct themselves in the way the RIAA/MPAA attack dogs and their masters do would totally rule out the possibility of arranging a "tragic accident/mugging/burglary" if sufficiently desperate.
There's plenty-enough money & power at stake here to make this, if not likely, at least plausible as an outlying possibility if they perceive you personally as enough of a threat to their revenue, power, and control. Scumbags that have demonstrated as little regard for the law and common decency as they have shown should not be underestimated.
I know you're certainly no fool, and are likely well-aware and taking proper precautions. I felt I had a duty to mention this distasteful possibility, however...men as honorable, principled, and courageous as you don't come dime-a-dozen.
Keep fighting the good fight my friend. My, and I'm certain many peoples', prayers & well-wishes are with you.
A brand new car is a rich mans toy, yes. Poor people drive 10 year old beaters.
Actually, poor people don't drive. Period. They walk, ride a bike, or take a city/metro bus, if they're lucky enough to live where there's public transportation available. It's the working-poor that can afford to own & maintain a vehicle. This situation is getting worse due to increased costs of owning/maintaining a vehicle, along with simultaneous reductions in public transportation coverage areas & schedules, and increased fares.
I don't own a car because I can't afford to keep one plated & insured, along with all the other incidental expenses. I'm on SSD (Social Security Disability) because of arthritis. My disability income is approximately $900/month. Between rent, utilities, and essential services (garbage, water, etc) about $650-$750 of that $900 is effectively gone before I get it.
That only leaves about $150-$250/month for all other living expenses. I regularly go without medication and medical care because I can't afford the co-pays and incidental costs not covered by Medicare/Medicaid.
If it weren't for me playing an occasional gig for the odd $35-$50/man/night in the blues band I'm in, plus an occasional $50-$100 from doing a guitar amp repair, I'd be living at a homeless shelter, or most likely I'd be on the streets, as the single homeless shelter here has far too little room for the numbers of needy.
I may yet end up on the streets, as with the worsening economy people are putting off repairs and live music is dying as club/bar owners cut costs. The Section-8/low-income housing programs here are severely under-funded. The waiting lists are now over 3 years and lengthening, and they've long-ago stopped accepting new applications.
It's much easier for a government to control a population that's dependent on the government for survival, and that can't travel. Keeping large numbers of people too poor to afford to travel/have vehicles is a nice work-around to Constitutional restrictions on the governments' power to restrict free travel.
The GAO should be able to exact fines from any agency for waste, insecurity etc etc.
All of this fine money should be funneled into a Government Solutions Office whose task is to spend that money back into the program to fix it.
GAO finds improper encryptions. Fines IRS. GSO hires a security expert to create new policies and purchase needed training.
Just a thought.
It sounds like a good idea, except getting Congress to give the GAO the powers it would need to be able to actually force a department like the IRS and similar formidable departments like Homeland Security to allow themselves to be fined, especially when some congress-critters' pet agency or department is threatened. I just don't think the bureaucratic fiefdoms and political power-players will allow any such reduction in their power.
We're talking about the power players in D.C.. The two pillars there are money and power. The players there never ever part with one without gaining a significant profit on the other, which they then use to recover their investment, usually with profit. Anything that interferes with this is anathema, and is avoided completely or at best given lip service enough to let them continue business as usual until the crisis is past.
It's a self-perpetuating system, and I just don't know what it would take to affect the kind of sweeping all-encompassing simultaneous reform across Congress, both political parties, lobbyists/lobbying, the courts/Justice Dept., and massive bureaucratic structures it would require to change the way things operate. It's particularly difficult and scary because of all the radical changes that would need to happen pretty much at once for it to not end up a more corrupt and unaccountable system than we have now.
This is why I play blues, work on tube amps, and tinker with operating systems. I know there's a problem, and even some slight inkling of some of the causes, but I don't have any answers and nobody I've ever read of or heard from really does either.
Decreasing the population from 6 billion to 200 million is a mighty big task, one that just gets more and more formidable every day. If we want to choose the closed system approach, someone is going to have to step forward and start making it clear that it is the duty of 90% of the population to die and die quietly. This makes Stalin and Hitler look like pikers by comparison.
Haha, at least there would be no shortage of jobs, as there would be a massive demand for gravediggers...how long would it take the remaining 200 million to bury/burn/dispose of several billion corpses? Might get a bit ripe-smelling before that job is finished!
The alternative is the stars, but I am deeply concerned that our vision has faded.
Not faded, exactly...more like narrowed to "what will gain me the greatest amount of wealth and power right now?".
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for innovation, but if people would spend more time finding out how to spare earth's resources instead of new ways to waste them, we would all be happier except the capitalists. And I understand that there is a need to find more contained/portable power sources for places where it is harder to pull the main grid, but maybe we wouldn't need such huge general power requirements if we focused more on ways to better save power and to better recycle waste heat.
[sarcasm]Yes, we just need to stop having new humans born...in a hundred years or so, we wouldn't need any power and we also wouldn't be ruining the planet with any other human-related activities. If we truly cared about the planet, then eliminating humanity totally is the only option. After all, humans are simply a carbon-based infestation of an otherwise-perfect world.[/sarcasm]
Unfortunately, conservation alone cannot solve the energy problems we face, unless everyone is willing to go back to pre-industrial-civilization-level technology and eliminate a significant percentage of the worlds' population, coupled with strict mandatory new-birth limitations. We'd also need to accept that the first planetary-life-threatening disaster means the end of humanity.
IMO what humanity *should* be doing is proceeding with all haste to develop the technology for spaceflight and colonization to tap resources not tied to that of a single planet. There is a Universes'-worth of energy, space, and resources waiting to be used. A planet is akin to a seed. Planet-based life has a finite amount of time to grow using a planets' resources to "mature" and move away from being planet-bound before the clock runs out and either cataclysmic disaster or resource-depletion dooms it.
...assuming the big ISPs would allow such a thing within the bounds of their natural monoplies...
They may not have any choice. It's possible that the RIAA got a heads-up from the NY AG on plans to pass legislation to force ISPs to become copyright enforcers or otherwise assist Big Media in policing the 'net. We've got both houses of Congress and the Presidency in the Democrats' hands now, and they've had a history of taking large contributions from, and attempting to pass legislation friendly to, Hollywood and the music industry so something like this should be no surprise to anyone. Get ready for DMCA/PIRATE/PRO-IP Act Part Deaux?
Maybe there's a fleet of dinosaur ark ships fleeing to another star right this very moment.
I guess that would be the 'D' Ark? Was it filled with dino-telephone sanitizers, middlemen, and hairdressers? I hope it doesn't end up like the 'B' Ark from Golgafrincham.
Unfortunately, 400 hertz is about the optimum frequency for inductive loads to be as efficient without a core as a 60 hertz inductive load is with a core.
Better tell that to all the radio transmitter designers that use nothing more than two coils in proximity to each other to couple many watts of power from the transmitters' plate-tank circuit to the load.
And then there is the whole thing about the established power grid running at 50 to 60 hertz
Switching power supplies are ubiquitous these days and could be incorporated into a charger stand or similar quite easily. Quite easy to convert 50-60Hz power to a higher frequency and with modern designs and components efficiency isn't too bad, considering.
Two Coils joined with a Core. No Core, and the efficiency goes way down
That depends on the frequency of the AC voltage/current. At lower frequencies, an iron core is needed to help concentrate and focus the electromagnetic field due to the extremely-long wavelengths involved. Higher frequencies not so much. At the right frequency, a conductive loop an inch or so in diameter in the charger and the device under charge would be plenty to transfer power at surprisingly-high efficiencies depending on the range required.
Actually, no, you can legally photograph nearly everything you can see from public land in the US. There are a few places where they're known to lack a sense of humor about it, but almost everything is fair game. (That said, there are a few rare restrictions on such things.)
Now understanding that this is the law in your country, and it is (apparently) clearly posted, well... yeah, they broke the law and got caught. As usual,/. distorts the story.
As to US laws, here's what 18 USC 795 has to say (in part).
"Whenever, in the interests of national defense, the President defines certain vital military and naval installations or equipment as requiring protection against the general dissemination of information relative thereto, it shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment without first obtaining permission of the commanding officer of the military or naval post, camp, or station, or naval vessels, military and naval aircraft, and any separate military or naval command concerned, or higher authority, and promptly submitting the product obtained to such commanding officer or higher authority for censorship or such other action as he may deem necessary."
Executive Order 10104, 1 Feb 1950:
"... it shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment..."
Atomic Energy Commission, US Code, Title 42, Cap 23, Div A, Subchap XVII, Sec 2278b:
"It shall be an offense...to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or graphical representation, while present on property subject to the jurisdiction, administration or in the custody of the Commission."
The laws w.r.t. photography/videography/general data-gathering concerning anything that could be construed as sensitive are very broad, and enforcement and interpretation varies enormously. Making assumptions here can get one in deep trouble very quickly with many large, angry, heavily-armed men, one of which might be thinking to himself; "I wonder if I could just shoot this idiot? If my buddy Smitty is Officer Of The Day today, he'd probably cover me in the report.".
Slashdot Mirror
A final note - one of the reasons this issue torques me so much is that Verizon has run fiber through my yard. They're more than willing to expect right-of-way through my property, but they steadfastly refuse to provide me with a service I'm more than willing to pay for. The State mandates that I allow this, so I don't have any recourse short of getting elected Governor. And before you comment that I get indirect benefit from the fiber, no I don't. The fiber in question isn't a backbone, it's a last-mile bundle installed to service another community.
Heh. Too bad you couldn't get away with driving about 8 feet of re-bar into the ground for that new mailbox that "accidentally" pierces straight through that cable. Oops! Sorry! Then do the same thing next week for one of those yard decorations that spin/rotate with the wind, then the week after that...well...you get my point. I know, you'd get fined and maybe even charged criminally for repeated damage. How angry are your neighbors though? If there were hundreds and hundreds all doing the same thing in protest, it might gain some national attention to the issue.
The township where I live has an exclusive service agreement with Charter, so no competition, which sucks as they let the local cable lines go to crap and outages and generally-crappy service is the norm. One of my nieces' kids is friends with one of the townships' councilmans' kids, and the councilmans' kid bragged to my nieces' kid about how "we get free everything from Charter because my daddy's an important councilman!".
These service agreements should be done away with. They stifle competition and promote corruption.
Cheers!
Strat
Not one man or woman, not one penny for the imperialist war! Mobilize workers power on the road to international socialist revolution! Defend Cuba, China, North Korea and Vietnam against capitalist counterrevolution and imperialist aggression! For new October revolutions an a reforged Leninist-Trotskyist Fourth International!
Heh. Where do you nutcases come from, anyway?
Fox News: Will manufacture enemies for food and viewers.
No, you've mixed your biases/networks. That was a communist/socialist troll. Fox News is claimed to be biased right. NBC/MSNBC/ABC...well...practically all the others...are claimed to be biased left, so would be the more sensible guess as to a leftist, pro-socialist/communist trollers' favorite network.
Just sayin'
Strat
...allow independent artists to profit from their hard work.
That part is precisely what the media cartels *don't* want to have happen, and what is in large part the reason for all the stupid crap they've been doing or attempting, like killing internet streaming radio and destroying the entire concept of copyrighted works entering public domain. They want to control distribution and access to distribution, as well as control artists' very ability to build on the past work of others to create independent works, in the same way that all advances are built on the work of others before.
Their business model is dependent on their ability to sit in the middle as gatekeepers and screw over both ends...the artists and the consumers by being the only game in town. How are they going to be able to get artists to sign ridiculously-usurious, one-sided contracts if the artists were to have an alternate viable means to distribute their work? Why would consumers buy locked-down, overpriced, marketing-formula-designed & created corporate pablum if they could buy directly from artists who don't use marketing software to "write" their "next big hit"?
This rape & pillage of our culture, public domain, and the violation of the rule of law and the spirit (if not the letter of) the Constitution with the cooperation of greedy and corrupt politicians is an affront to all people, and no better than an organized-crime operation. In fact it's worse, as politicians are at the least scandalized by revelations that they accepted money from someone like a "Don Corleone"-type mob boss and sponsored legislation on their behalf to prop up their extortion racket, yet take money openly from *these* racketeers, even bragging how they're "protecting US business". Sickening.
Cheers!
Strat
But there's a difference between group-think and history. Stuff used to matter.
History is for old people! Geeze, haven't you been in the loop?
If we need to post about what went on before the 'net, we search our feelings and write what's "truthy" now!
(Not sure if this post should be modded "+1 Tragically Ironic" or "+1 Ironically Tragic".)
Strat
WE DON"T OWE ANYONE A DAMNED THING!
US Gross External Debt
We owe plenty.
Had to do it :)
Sadly, you're absolutely correct in that sense. :(
To top it off, we just elected leadership that will ensure our plummeting even farther and faster into far, far greater national debt.
I can only hope our citizens wake up in time to save the US from economic collapse.
Cheers!
Strat
Wow BlueStrat, we have had disagreements before, but this time you are spot-on! (US does not donate the most per capita, but we are not all that bad either).
Very strange to see eye-to-eye with you. Posting A/C since this is off-topic. ..slashtivus..
Ah, Slashtivus! Yes, I remember our discussions. :)
I admire your intellectual honesty in saying that. Bravo, sir! Intellectual honesty is something that is in short supply when any topic involving the USA comes up. Likewise, I don't always (rarely? :P ) agree with your opinions, but I'd be honest enough to admit when I did, and back you up.
As to the USA not donating as much per-capita, I look at it as a testament to the USAs' economic strength brought about by our freedoms. The fact that we don't *have to* burden our citizens by contributing as much per-capita to out-contribute every other nation on the planet should be more reason for other nations to take some tips on allowing their peoples more freedom, rather than to harp on the USA for not needing to burden their people as much, yet still do more good.
To paraphrase a modern urban saying, "don't hate the player (the USA) hate the game (your particular nations' self-limitations regarding economic & civil freedom and economic growth)". Of course, USA-hating is a convenient distraction from having to think about (and maybe having to actually work to change) what their nations' leadership is doing (or not doing).
Cheers!
Strat
Ah because the good old US of A is the perfect country where sunshine flows out of the assholes of the general population.
Try reading my post. I said the US makes mistakes and blunders. Apparently reading (and comprehension) is NOT fundamental for you.
Do you even realise that you get taught a biased version of world events?
I don't depend on any one source, or any one nations' sources for my information. They now have this wonderful thing called the "internet" now. You probably know it as that thing Al Gore invented. (Yes, that's sarcasm.)
Actually the EU provides more official foreign development aid than the US.
http://www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=3558
The EU states of France germany and the UK alone beat the US and when you consider how much wealthier the US is those countries are giving twice the percentage of Gross National Income that the US is. Now that's no reason to knock the US, any donation is a help when it comes to these things.
So, you quote some private non-governmental organization with a vested interest in pressuring the richer countries to contribute more and that uses statistics (lies, damn lies, and statistics) to "prove" the US isn't "doing it's fair share". Here's a news flash Bunky...WE DON"T OWE ANYONE A DAMNED THING! We give and in the amount we choose because that is OUR prerogative, not yours or anyone elses.
But but but but...fox news said america is the only country in the world that ever does anything good!!!!!
This is the second time you've mentioned Fox News in this one post. Obsess, much?
On balance I'd call the US a positive force in the world...
I agree. :)
Nice strawman you've built there. I never said that. I don't believe that. I *do* believe that Amnesty International has become politicized and has become a tool of the more left-leaning ideologues in recent times, which is sad. Especially for those to whom they could be devoting those resources that are instead being used to wage political/ideological attacks.
First- Check your fact.
*I* have, but in your case it's apparent that there are none so blind as those that refuse to see.
Second- stop with the fucking persecution complex.
Right. Because everyone knows that the US never gets unfairly-bashed, especially on /. .
By the way, how is that whole Darfur thing working out for you guys? I'm sure you must have it well in hand by now, no? After all, you *are* so much more caring than the "E-vil" USA...right?
It's ok, son...when you gain some age & maturity, you'll be able to separate your emotions from logic and actual history, and be able to think these things through more clearly.
Strat
the loss of Japanese lives would have been far higher if America had invaded... rather than accept the offers of surrender made before the atomic bombs were ever droped... oh... wait... they don't bother teaching that bit in American highschools do they?
You've already had this debunked for you a number of times. Why do you persist with this, for all practical purposes and to all reasonable evaluation, fantasy? Well, I suppose it's understandable...no reason to let facts get in the way of a good US-bashing.
[sarcasm]
I'm certain that if there were to be a humanitarian disaster of some sort in your location, you'd stand on principle and not accept help from the horrible, awful, war-criminals of the USA to save yourself and those you love.
I'm sure that you'll be able to count on a massive relief effort that's sure to be mounted by either Russia, China, N. Korea, Iran, or Syria. I can see how they and the US-bashing European nations are mobilizing to assist in Darfur, so I'm sure you'll be just fine.
[/sarcasm]
I just love how so many nations and people that are so quick to condemn the US are even quicker to take US foreign-aid and humanitarian relief. No other nation does as much to help others as the US. The fact that we do it despite all the bashing and back-stabbing by those we help when other nations who could help won't and criticize the US for not doing enough pretty well says all there is to say.
Even in wars and military conflicts the US takes more pains to avoid innocent deaths than any other nation, even sacrificing non-trivial numbers of US lives to that end, and we're still demonized. Yet we don't abandon our principles and simply level entire nations and decimate entire populations as we could do without even trying.
Sure, the USA makes mistakes and blunders. We and our leaders are human. Yes, we'll look out for our interests as every other nation does. Despite this, we still do more to help those in need around the world (even our self-sworn enemies) than any other nation on the planet.
Go ahead, mods...do your worst. My karma is excellent. In more ways than one.
Strat
Look at whatever economic or social statistics you want about the terrorist-sponsoring & harboring anti-West countries of the Middle-East and you'll see that the terrorist-sponsoring & harboring anti-West countries of the Middle-East have more important problems to address. By diverting attention to this kind of rabid hatred for the West & radical Islam, these Middle-East political & religious leaders expose themselves as the asshats they really are and reinforce negative stereotypes of their countries.
There, fixed that for you in a way that demonstrates that this is not a new idea, and has been used widely to distract the populace from the poor decisions, greed, inaction, and cowardice of their leaders.
Cheers!
Strat
Blame the major recording labels and their bought-and-paid-for congress-critters. This is purely the result of the major content producers'/distributors' attempts to kill off internet radio because they don't control it. This isn't about copyright, royalties, or any of that noise. It's about controlling distribution and what people see/hear. If they can't control it, they'll try everything they can to kill it.
Also, expect many countries outside the US to eventually follow along as treaties are signed to "harmonize" IP laws.
I'm afraid this whole thing (the attempts by the major content distributors to outlaw/regulate/legislate the way the internet works) is going to get really ugly before it's over.
Cheers!
Strat
I really get frustrated when doublespeak is acceptable. It's like the question, "Are prisoners in Guantanamo being tortured?" If they weren't being tortured, they would be in New York state, sitting in the same jail cells we use for other suspected murderers. The fact that anyone is asking the question is mind-boggling.
Well, there's also the slight difference that the average prisoner you find in a New York state prison, if escaped, might knock off a bank or a 7-11, or even kill a couple people. For the most part these average prisoners also value their own lives.
These guys in Guantanamo (that have hands-on experience with small arms and improvised explosives/chemical weapons), if they escaped, would be attempting kill as many people as possible and destroy as much as they could and wouldn't be caring if they died in the process. Myself, I'm very very glad there's roughly a hundred miles of ocean between them and the US.
Similarly, any company that sets up in a small country that they do no business in is obviously up to something. Otherwise they wouldn't be there.
As to the US corporations in TFA, it's no surprise they'd want to reduce their tax burdens. The US is already one of the, if not the highest-taxed and most expensive countries for a corporation to be based/headquartered in.
They are competing globally against other corporations & businesses that don't have to pay the overhead that they, if they were based/headquartered in the US, would have to pay. By increasing the tax and regulatory compliance burdens the US will lose that revenue one way or another...either the corporation/business will offshore or fail.
If the new administration raises corporate taxes & operating expenses further, expect more corporations & businesses to join the exodus, fail, or simply never start up in the US to begin with. Of course, the government could always take over the corporation/business to prevent this. This hasn't worked out so well historically for others, though.
Cheers!
Strat
Ray, I'm a musician (just an indy blues player/songwriter in a blues band) and a fan of yours. I cheer your courage in standing up to these scumbags. I worry about you though. I'm sure I'm not alone.
I hope you figuratively/legally tear 'em a new one, but I also hope you pay proper attention to personal security. I doubt anyone that would conduct themselves in the way the RIAA/MPAA attack dogs and their masters do would totally rule out the possibility of arranging a "tragic accident/mugging/burglary" if sufficiently desperate.
There's plenty-enough money & power at stake here to make this, if not likely, at least plausible as an outlying possibility if they perceive you personally as enough of a threat to their revenue, power, and control. Scumbags that have demonstrated as little regard for the law and common decency as they have shown should not be underestimated.
I know you're certainly no fool, and are likely well-aware and taking proper precautions. I felt I had a duty to mention this distasteful possibility, however...men as honorable, principled, and courageous as you don't come dime-a-dozen.
Keep fighting the good fight my friend. My, and I'm certain many peoples', prayers & well-wishes are with you.
Bravo, Sir, bravo!
Strat
A brand new car is a rich mans toy, yes. Poor people drive 10 year old beaters.
Actually, poor people don't drive. Period. They walk, ride a bike, or take a city/metro bus, if they're lucky enough to live where there's public transportation available. It's the working-poor that can afford to own & maintain a vehicle. This situation is getting worse due to increased costs of owning/maintaining a vehicle, along with simultaneous reductions in public transportation coverage areas & schedules, and increased fares.
I don't own a car because I can't afford to keep one plated & insured, along with all the other incidental expenses. I'm on SSD (Social Security Disability) because of arthritis. My disability income is approximately $900/month. Between rent, utilities, and essential services (garbage, water, etc) about $650-$750 of that $900 is effectively gone before I get it.
That only leaves about $150-$250/month for all other living expenses. I regularly go without medication and medical care because I can't afford the co-pays and incidental costs not covered by Medicare/Medicaid.
If it weren't for me playing an occasional gig for the odd $35-$50/man/night in the blues band I'm in, plus an occasional $50-$100 from doing a guitar amp repair, I'd be living at a homeless shelter, or most likely I'd be on the streets, as the single homeless shelter here has far too little room for the numbers of needy.
I may yet end up on the streets, as with the worsening economy people are putting off repairs and live music is dying as club/bar owners cut costs. The Section-8/low-income housing programs here are severely under-funded. The waiting lists are now over 3 years and lengthening, and they've long-ago stopped accepting new applications.
It's much easier for a government to control a population that's dependent on the government for survival, and that can't travel. Keeping large numbers of people too poor to afford to travel/have vehicles is a nice work-around to Constitutional restrictions on the governments' power to restrict free travel.
Cheers!
Strat
What we need is a counterpart to the GAO.
The GAO should be able to exact fines from any agency for waste, insecurity etc etc.
All of this fine money should be funneled into a Government Solutions Office whose task is to spend that money back into the program to fix it.
GAO finds improper encryptions. Fines IRS. GSO hires a security expert to create new policies and purchase needed training.
Just a thought.
It sounds like a good idea, except getting Congress to give the GAO the powers it would need to be able to actually force a department like the IRS and similar formidable departments like Homeland Security to allow themselves to be fined, especially when some congress-critters' pet agency or department is threatened. I just don't think the bureaucratic fiefdoms and political power-players will allow any such reduction in their power.
We're talking about the power players in D.C.. The two pillars there are money and power. The players there never ever part with one without gaining a significant profit on the other, which they then use to recover their investment, usually with profit. Anything that interferes with this is anathema, and is avoided completely or at best given lip service enough to let them continue business as usual until the crisis is past.
It's a self-perpetuating system, and I just don't know what it would take to affect the kind of sweeping all-encompassing simultaneous reform across Congress, both political parties, lobbyists/lobbying, the courts/Justice Dept., and massive bureaucratic structures it would require to change the way things operate. It's particularly difficult and scary because of all the radical changes that would need to happen pretty much at once for it to not end up a more corrupt and unaccountable system than we have now.
This is why I play blues, work on tube amps, and tinker with operating systems. I know there's a problem, and even some slight inkling of some of the causes, but I don't have any answers and nobody I've ever read of or heard from really does either.
Cheers!
Strat
My idea of gun "control"...[snip]
Here's MY idea of gun control!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KvO-8IvoCI
Cheers!
Strat
They would get halfway through the trial before realizing they're sitting on both sides of the court. Incompetent jackasses -_-
And how much do you want to bet they'd still try for a conviction or settlement? :D
Cheers!
Strat
Decreasing the population from 6 billion to 200 million is a mighty big task, one that just gets more and more formidable every day. If we want to choose the closed system approach, someone is going to have to step forward and start making it clear that it is the duty of 90% of the population to die and die quietly. This makes Stalin and Hitler look like pikers by comparison.
Haha, at least there would be no shortage of jobs, as there would be a massive demand for gravediggers...how long would it take the remaining 200 million to bury/burn/dispose of several billion corpses? Might get a bit ripe-smelling before that job is finished!
The alternative is the stars, but I am deeply concerned that our vision has faded.
Not faded, exactly...more like narrowed to "what will gain me the greatest amount of wealth and power right now?".
Cheers!
Strat
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for innovation, but if people would spend more time finding out how to spare earth's resources instead of new ways to waste them, we would all be happier except the capitalists. And I understand that there is a need to find more contained/portable power sources for places where it is harder to pull the main grid, but maybe we wouldn't need such huge general power requirements if we focused more on ways to better save power and to better recycle waste heat.
[sarcasm]Yes, we just need to stop having new humans born...in a hundred years or so, we wouldn't need any power and we also wouldn't be ruining the planet with any other human-related activities. If we truly cared about the planet, then eliminating humanity totally is the only option. After all, humans are simply a carbon-based infestation of an otherwise-perfect world.[/sarcasm]
Unfortunately, conservation alone cannot solve the energy problems we face, unless everyone is willing to go back to pre-industrial-civilization-level technology and eliminate a significant percentage of the worlds' population, coupled with strict mandatory new-birth limitations. We'd also need to accept that the first planetary-life-threatening disaster means the end of humanity.
IMO what humanity *should* be doing is proceeding with all haste to develop the technology for spaceflight and colonization to tap resources not tied to that of a single planet. There is a Universes'-worth of energy, space, and resources waiting to be used. A planet is akin to a seed. Planet-based life has a finite amount of time to grow using a planets' resources to "mature" and move away from being planet-bound before the clock runs out and either cataclysmic disaster or resource-depletion dooms it.
Cheers!
Strat
I think you mean "Part Deux", unless you are referring to a certain commune in the Gard department in southern France...
My bad. Spell-check wouldn't give me a decent answer, and I was too lazy to Google it.
Cheers!
Strat
...assuming the big ISPs would allow such a thing within the bounds of their natural monoplies...
They may not have any choice. It's possible that the RIAA got a heads-up from the NY AG on plans to pass legislation to force ISPs to become copyright enforcers or otherwise assist Big Media in policing the 'net. We've got both houses of Congress and the Presidency in the Democrats' hands now, and they've had a history of taking large contributions from, and attempting to pass legislation friendly to, Hollywood and the music industry so something like this should be no surprise to anyone. Get ready for DMCA/PIRATE/PRO-IP Act Part Deaux?
Cheers!
Strat
Maybe there's a fleet of dinosaur ark ships fleeing to another star right this very moment.
I guess that would be the 'D' Ark? Was it filled with dino-telephone sanitizers, middlemen, and hairdressers? I hope it doesn't end up like the 'B' Ark from Golgafrincham.
Cheers!
Strat
Hear! Hear!
No no no! That's audio. We're talking about video here.
See see?
(Sorry, couldn't resist. Blame it on old jokes and old jokers I suppose.:) )
Cheers!
Strat
Unfortunately, 400 hertz is about the optimum frequency for inductive loads to be as efficient without a core as a 60 hertz inductive load is with a core.
Better tell that to all the radio transmitter designers that use nothing more than two coils in proximity to each other to couple many watts of power from the transmitters' plate-tank circuit to the load.
And then there is the whole thing about the established power grid running at 50 to 60 hertz
Switching power supplies are ubiquitous these days and could be incorporated into a charger stand or similar quite easily. Quite easy to convert 50-60Hz power to a higher frequency and with modern designs and components efficiency isn't too bad, considering.
Cheers!
Strat
Two Coils joined with a Core. No Core, and the efficiency goes way down
That depends on the frequency of the AC voltage/current. At lower frequencies, an iron core is needed to help concentrate and focus the electromagnetic field due to the extremely-long wavelengths involved. Higher frequencies not so much. At the right frequency, a conductive loop an inch or so in diameter in the charger and the device under charge would be plenty to transfer power at surprisingly-high efficiencies depending on the range required.
Cheers!
Strat
Actually, no, you can legally photograph nearly everything you can see from public land in the US. There are a few places where they're known to lack a sense of humor about it, but almost everything is fair game. (That said, there are a few rare restrictions on such things.)
Now understanding that this is the law in your country, and it is (apparently) clearly posted, well... yeah, they broke the law and got caught. As usual, /. distorts the story.
As to US laws, here's what 18 USC 795 has to say (in part).
"Whenever, in the interests of national defense, the President defines certain vital military and naval installations or equipment as requiring protection against the general dissemination of information relative thereto, it shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment without first obtaining permission of the commanding officer of the military or naval post, camp, or station, or naval vessels, military and naval aircraft, and any separate military or naval command concerned, or higher authority, and promptly submitting the product obtained to such commanding officer or higher authority for censorship or such other action as he may deem necessary."
Executive Order 10104, 1 Feb 1950:
"... it shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment..."
Atomic Energy Commission, US Code, Title 42, Cap 23, Div A, Subchap XVII, Sec 2278b:
"It shall be an offense...to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or graphical representation, while present on property subject to the jurisdiction, administration or in the custody of the Commission."
The laws w.r.t. photography/videography/general data-gathering concerning anything that could be construed as sensitive are very broad, and enforcement and interpretation varies enormously. Making assumptions here can get one in deep trouble very quickly with many large, angry, heavily-armed men, one of which might be thinking to himself; "I wonder if I could just shoot this idiot? If my buddy Smitty is Officer Of The Day today, he'd probably cover me in the report.".
Cheers!
Strat