Successful in court? I'm not suure; you'd have to Google for yourself. However, at least as far as the intent of the plaintiffs, there has been success:
Such lawsuits threaten the viability of gun stores in Texas and across the nation. Colt Manufacturing has already announced that because of the lawsuits they will no longer sell handguns to the civilian public. In addition, Colt is in the process of buying H & K manufacturing and has said that once the purchase is complete, H & K will no longer sell handguns to the public. Most recently, Smith & Wesson has announced it is up for sale. The events that have transpired as a direct result of the lawsuits against the gun industry do not bode well for gun dealers or gun owners.
Here in the US, gun makers have faced the threat of lawsuits, and many have drastically changed their marketing, sometimes in very paranoid ways. One manufacturer has essentially stopped selling modern handguns to civilians.
But, for an accurate analogy, the Flash hammer with Yahoo installed wouuld be annoying to some users, by having unnecessary and unwanted graphic features (ugly toolbar = flashing red and blue LEDs). It would also, by its' nature, create an unnecessary impediment to your work (CPU drain = sponge hammer). It would also be difficult to get rid of (assumably difficuult uninstall = recycling limitations in most states).
So, you can't do muuch about the way people use your tools, but people will probably like them less if they're flashing spongy hazardous hammers, like the Yahoo! toolbar.
I am the tech guy for a small private school, and one of our Art teachers uses Flash to teach animation. I really don't want to have the sttuupid Y!bar on every PC, so I can see trhis being an issue pretty soon.
Yeah, it's great the way I can just log on to any Windows machine, and install devices software by letting it Plug and Play, or Autorun. If that doesn't work, I can find the install.exe. Actually, it could be setup.bat. But, now I can't remember which version of Windows this poorly marked floppy/CD is for. I'll try NT2000, that should work.
OK,OK, now I just have to look in the manual for the heading "Windows Protection Fault"...
I mean, come on! I use Windows everyday, and rarely use Linux, but just because Linux has a long way to go does not mean that Windows should be the model to follow.
Even with Windows, having a specific disk image you can restore is handy. It still involves the whole licensing issue, which can be worth dealing with on a large scale (100+ PCs), but in schools where you may only get 10-20 new PCs a year (and therefore only 10-20 of the same model), it's not worth setting up a roll-out kmodel. Just set up 1 PC, Ghost it, and dupe to all your new PCs. then store the Ghost image for later use.
8.5 years ago, my current 8th grade class was starting 1st Grade, and many were using PCs for the 1st time. Windows '95 was MS's "consumer" option, NT 4 was the best option available from MS. OS/2 Warp 4 and Mac OS8 were competitors. Fortunately, MS Bob had died an early death, and could be found (if at all) in dollar stores.
2005-12 = 1993
http://toastytech.com/guis/guitimeline3.html
Current U.S. high school seniors were entering 1st Grade, and many were using PCs for the first time. The main OS choices are Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1 (there were no previous versions), OS/2 V2, PC-Geos, Amiga Workbench 3, and Mac (not sure which version, sorry).
Fortunately, Lotus 1-2-3 was no longer considered as a viable option (see quote "In the single-tasking MS-DOS 1-2-3 was sometimes used as a complete environment" at http://www.answers.com/topic/lotus-1-2-3
In light of all this, it is foolish to assume that any OS that students use in school, or university, will be vaguely similar to the similarly-titled offerings available when they graduate and go into the "real world". No one can say that Win XP would be quickly intuitive to a Win 3.1 user, and yet wouldn't be much harder for an Amiga Workbench user to learn.
Actually, even though my PC Lab is predominantly MS, I think teaching students to use just one OS is an injustice. When the kids in the early grades graduate, who knows what the predominant OS will be?
When I was in 6th Grade, TRS-80s were in my grade school. For 8th Grade "Graduation", I got my own C-64. In High School, I used TRS-80s at one school, and Apple II's at another. A friend had one of those IBM PCs; you know, a PC JR?
I know that architecture and OS's really aren't evolving as drastically as they did then, but I hope you get my point. I'm more concerned about my students learning concepts than specifics. If my goal is for them to be able to use a word processor, we use both Word and OpenOffice.
If my goal is for them to be able to make a web page, we use DreamWeaver and Notepad.
It should be easy enough for non-geeks to look for a word processor or web browser icon on the desktop, if the flavor of Linux is set up properly. Taking the time to get 1 install right is worth it, when setting up a lab of identical machines. I only have 20 PCs in our biggest lab (we're a small private school), but I still make a recovery DVD that I can use to re-image a system and have it usable for a class.
Obviously, with OSS, the legal hassles that can occur with multiple PCs using the same image are minimal.
And if Windows/Office are that much easier to use, then it should be no big deal for them to learn to use them when they reach university.
Why do I use MS so much if I feel this way? Private schools are forced to choose between what is best and what the parents think is best for the students. I must balance cost-effectiveness with what parents will demand their children have access to.
The only flaw I see with your theory, as it applies to this new WiFi model costing comsumre s extra. If a company has X dollars for ad revenue, they can choose where to spend it. It can be in print, Tv, or WiFI strip-banners, but it doesn't mean that they will necessarily spend more money (and thusly, charge more) just because there is a new method of advertising. They may have an initial extra expenditure, but they'll quickly decide (if they're a well-run business) which methods work best for them.
In other words, advertising is an overhead cost; companies can reduce it, but they're well aware that they can't do without it completely.
Okay, I went home and checked. I've got 5000+ songs as mp3 files, and theres lots of music I can think of that I don't have. Okay, so much of that came from ripping my 100s of CDs; but not everybody does it that way.
500 songs? Just think of 100 bands you like 2 songs from, and 4 bands who you just have to have all 50 (pulling a # out of the air) songs they've ever released. And don't forget to count all the 100 1 hit wonders and so on, or if you actually have a spouse or sig.other who likes some tunes, too.
And the idea is that I don't have to know them off the top of my head; I look through the PC and see them.
I think the worst effect from a "dirty bomb" would be the evacuation- imagine the mobs fleeing NYC on 9/11; now imagine the whole city, Long Island, and northern New Jersey fleeing in panic- traffic deaths would double that year.
Now add in the looters (95% of the population is gone? Let's get their stuff!) and those with nowhere to go (homeless, fugitives; that's like 3% of NYC, right?)- The Northeast Corridor of the US would be hell, with just 1 dirty bomb.
Even if the bomb killed noone, I think there would be many deaths resulting from it.
Some US/.'ers might not be aware of the TV licensing in Britain (and other nations?) where there is a government-backed system of monitoring who has a TV, and who has a LICENSE for a TV.
While the system may make some sense, it was a bit of a surprise to me, finding out how the BBC funded many of the programs I thought were just put out by the govt there as a sort of handout; "we've made this good stuff just for you, no thanks, we don't accept payment, etc".
So, someone who DLs TV shows there, but doesn't own a TV (read: TV License) is taking something he didn't pay (fully) for, and doesn't have a right to use.
But, before I sound too holier-than-thou, I'm still completing my "Father Ted" collection on WinMX.
I know this wasn't really part of your point, but I know a lot of people who'd rather have 10000 songs at a low quality, than 1000 at high quality. Low quality isn't necessarily a deterrent to file-share hogs.
Can't wait for the military to ask for the Special Forces troops, etc. to give up one good eye for an even "better" one. And better lungs, so that he can go for hours without breathing (makes gas masks less important).
And then, of course, those "lustful urges" will be a distraction and discipline issue, so we'll nip that in the bud...
Unlike some however, I don't see this concept as a completely bad thing. Some people would be quite happy to be part of a cyborg. If it comes about because their physical difficulties were abated, why not offer them more options? If my eyesight is poor, why not give me 20/20, 400X zoom, IR, Xray, UV and starlight vision? And if that makes me a slightly better sniper (just slightly, mind you), so be it.
OK, I use PayPal, but even I see where this could be an example of letting SlashDot do your homework. In 3 months, will PayPal be announcing a new option for funds transfer? Or should I be thinking that the mere mention of Open Source means that Anonymous Writer's curiousity is purely innocent? Because no one on/. would be blinded to rational thought and deeper motives just because of mere mentions of words
I'm a computer teacher (or, Technology Director), and I couldn't agree more. I have a PC Lab with enough PCs for the biggest class, and then some. Each classroom, other than mine, has at least 1 PC. The only rooms with more than one are our English classrooms (typing up reports) and our math classroom (we have some specialized assistance CDs). I'm looking to replace the PCs in the English classes with Quickpads, basically overpriced word processors (I love them , but $200 US is still a bit steep for a keyboard with some RAM). Eventually, we'll have enough of these for an entire class to use at once, and it will take away some of the distraction that comes from working on a PC.
I teach K-8th. Kindergarteners use the standard FreddiFish/Reader Rabbit CDs, but also get web browsing, searching ( I put words on the board for them to find in Yahooligans search). Starting in 1st grade, no more CDs. They learn word processing, image editing, CAD, spreadsheets, presentations, programming, and more. I talk about DRM, copyright, hacking, and piracy,and try to give reasonable views on both sides of most issues.
Fortunately, I teach at a (VERY) small private school. I decide the curriculum, and although I don't determine our budget, I do decide what it's spent on. I don't replace old PCs because they're old, I replace them only if they're junk. I.E., I got rid of our eMachines 466's, but still have an IBM Intellistation running as a fileserver. I didn't buy LCD monitors because they look cool, but because our building wiring couldn't support the number of CRTs we had in the lab. I tell parents to never throw a PC out, bring it in to me if they don't want it (yes, some are junk, but some aren't- it's worth the time it takes).
I get to show the students Open Source alternatives (but can't use them exclusively; too many parents are still convinced MS is best).
I also encourage the kids to learn from old tech, even though I try to keep the lab up to date. I've got a Quadra 800, a Mac SE, and even an Atari 2600 as examples of computing's history. Eventually, I'll break down and buy an abacus, just to show kids what computers were meant to do.
I encourage kids to play around with a new program, before I explain how to use it. I work with the kids that have advanced knowledge, and on the few occasions I've had problems with "hacking", it's been ended quickly. I think its because I talk with the kids about what's going on now, and don't just give them assignments from a curriculum approved two years ago, that the class works so well.
It's nice to be getting paid for doing what you'd do if you were rich.
I've had a good experience with lowesthosting.com , though their e-mail space is a bit small. Also, I'm not sure if it's possible to expand your e-mail/web storage past their defaults - 100mb web, 50 mb databases, 50 mb e-mail.
I put my personal site on there, and then used them to set up e-mail for my employer
www.kimvin.com and www.seashoreschool.com
I haven't had any downtime with them, and although I expected their customer service to be sparse, they actually responded promptly and accurately when I had technical questions (of course, I had made effort to find info on my own first; they may have appreciated that). I'd switch my employer's actual website to them,
but I'm getting far more web storage with the current host, who charges a high rate for the OFFICIAL capacity, but I've had over 650 Mb of files on the website and never had an issue storage-wise. Of course, we have 3-4 day outages every other month or so (www.emanse.net is that host - use at your own risk).
An excellent suggestion; quick, quiet, and highly efficient. If the poster goes with filling the inside of the building, however, the amount of propellant involved could become problematic, in regards to fire safety.
Of course, if he's OK with burying the building in popcorn, maybe a large amount of pocorn adhered to the outside (something non-toxic and biodegradable of course; honey?) would do, instead. Spray it on, using the aforementioned blown-in insuation machines.
I use an ix104 tablet, no trackpad and great digitizer pen/touchscreen options. The cpu (866P3) is a bit slow, though. 1st generation now available at several surplus sites, got mine at isellsurplus.com for ~$1000
I've had mine for over a month, and I'm using it to replace my desktop PC at work, and the PC I use at home for e-mail and browsing. I may not play Doom3, but it can handle Quake 3 if I wanted it to, and even some DV editing.
Most illegal immigrants will end up staying here, especially the ones who grow up here. Rounding all of them up and deporting them is, aside from being morally questionable and practically difficult, a political impossibility. So our choice isn't to have them or not have them; the choice is whether we aid them in becoming productive citizens or not.
I AGREE 100% - They must become productive CITIZENS; meaning they become subject to all laws and regulations, pay taxes, etc.
Ever driven over the speed limit? Well, you're not law abiding either. Clearly, we should make sure your kids can't go to school.
I am aware of the consequences of driving over the speed limit. When I have received a ticket for this offense (I won't take the easy way out and say "mistake"), I have paid it, and accepted the consequences. When illegals in many parts of NJ are picked up by the police, there is nothing the police can do. There is no legal record of them in the US, and the local INS offices will NOT ACT on any reports.
Honestly, have you ever met an illegal immigrant? Coming here, even from Mexico, is hardly a cakewalk. The ones I've met have all been serious, honest, and hardworking. Their willingness to dodge the INS implies nothing about their willingness to commit other, more serious crimes.
Yes, I have met them, worked with them, annd had to compete with them for work. I admire their determination, and their commitment to their families. I wish more American citizens were like them, and that would be my goal. Americans who lived through the nation's Depression often have a very serious outlook, and were grateful for the OPPORTUNITY TO WORK (not a phrase you hear in the US much anymore).
The notion that they are one-way drains on the economy or make this place harder for you to live is unsupported by the data.
Obviously- it is difficult to get data on those who, by the nature of their presence here, are undocumented.
Unless your life's dream was to become a dishwasher, that is.
The reason they don't pay income taxes is because we don't let them. Some of them would still probably work under the table if they could, but that's true of citizens as well. Ditto for auto insurance. They probably do pay property taxes; as most are renters, that's taken care of through their rent. And I can pretty much guarantee you that most people working at the wages that illegal immigrants get are not paying for health insurance, so that's hardly something you can pin on illegals either.
My life's dream may not be washing dishes, but although I am now a computer instructor, I have washed dishes for a living. I have also been a laborer, a "maintenance man", a security guard, and a production worker. All of these were low-wage (or minimum wage) jobs, and yet I paid taxes, I paid auto insurance (when I had a car), I paid for my health insurance, and when I had food, I paid for it.
And immigrants, legal and otherwise, provide the economy with substantial benefits.
I agree- they are doing work that many Americans don't want to; I don't know many teenagers in my area who work at a fast-food place, washes dishes, fixes appliances, buses tables, or mows lawns. We (Americans), as a society, want everything everyone else has, and are willing to go into debt 3 times over to do so.
One study [economist.com] mentions that once you count an immigrant's children, taxpayers make an $80,000 profit on each immigrant. That's not evenly distributed; costs of schooling come now, and the taxes come later. But given our demographics, that's a great thing: if it weren't for immigration, we'd be facing a demographic time bomb just like Europe.
I mostly agree with you here, too. I have NO problem with immigrants coming in, whether it's from Mexico, Hungary, or India. But for our e
OK, let me first say that I am only against ILLEGAL immigrants, not those who use the existing system. But I do have a few issues with your post...
Humanitarian considerations aside, society pays a heavy cost if illegal immigrants are afraid to report crime or if their children are forced to be sick, malnourished, and ignorant.
Our socety may pay a cost, but our taxpayers shouldn't. If illegal immigrants are afraid to report crime, and can't get free health care, maybe they won't be so tempted to come here anymore.
Whether we should let them come is one question, but as long as they are here to stay we might as well make sure they make it.
I disagree. Making sure they're OK while they're here is something we should do for our citizens, and for law-abiding guests from other countries. As illegal immigrants, they are already not law-abiding. As unfunded drains on our economy (often paying no taxes on property or income, and because of their situation, usually not carrying health, life, or auto insurance), they make this a harder place for me to live.
Do I sound harsh? Sorry. But I'd rather see MY money (meaning the taxes I pay, that illegals don't) spent on making Mexico a better place, than supporting people who, by the nature of their presence here, are making the US a less law-abiding and less well-regulated nation. And, yes I do mean that; send some more global aid south, and maybe we can get everybody happier.
Slashdot Mirror
Successful in court? I'm not suure; you'd have to Google for yourself. However, at least as far as the intent of the plaintiffs, there has been success:
circa January, 2000 (from http://www.saveourguns.com/litigation.0001.htm
Such lawsuits threaten the viability of gun stores in Texas and across the nation. Colt Manufacturing has already announced that because of the lawsuits they will no longer sell handguns to the civilian public. In addition, Colt is in the process of buying H & K manufacturing and has said that once the purchase is complete, H & K will no longer sell handguns to the public. Most recently, Smith & Wesson has announced it is up for sale. The events that have transpired as a direct result of the lawsuits against the gun industry do not bode well for gun dealers or gun owners.
Here in the US, gun makers have faced the threat of lawsuits, and many have drastically changed their marketing, sometimes in very paranoid ways. One manufacturer has essentially stopped selling modern handguns to civilians.
But, for an accurate analogy, the Flash hammer with Yahoo installed wouuld be annoying to some users, by having unnecessary and unwanted graphic features (ugly toolbar = flashing red and blue LEDs). It would also, by its' nature, create an unnecessary impediment to your work (CPU drain = sponge hammer). It would also be difficult to get rid of (assumably difficuult uninstall = recycling limitations in most states).
So, you can't do muuch about the way people use your tools, but people will probably like them less if they're flashing spongy hazardous hammers, like the Yahoo! toolbar.
I am the tech guy for a small private school, and one of our Art teachers uses Flash to teach animation. I really don't want to have the sttuupid Y!bar on every PC, so I can see trhis being an issue pretty soon.
Yeah, it's great the way I can just log on to any Windows machine, and install devices software by letting it Plug and Play, or Autorun. If that doesn't work, I can find the install.exe. Actually, it could be setup.bat. But, now I can't remember which version of Windows this poorly marked floppy/CD is for. I'll try NT2000, that should work.
OK,OK, now I just have to look in the manual for the heading "Windows Protection Fault"...
I mean, come on! I use Windows everyday, and rarely use Linux, but just because Linux has a long way to go does not mean that Windows should be the model to follow.
Even with Windows, having a specific disk image you can restore is handy. It still involves the whole licensing issue, which can be worth dealing with on a large scale (100+ PCs), but in schools where you may only get 10-20 new PCs a year (and therefore only 10-20 of the same model), it's not worth setting up a roll-out kmodel. Just set up 1 PC, Ghost it, and dupe to all your new PCs. then store the Ghost image for later use.
OK, here it is quick, to back up Anita.
7 69514 or http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=138172&cid=115 61825).
2005-8 = 1997
http://toastytech.com/guis/guitimeline4.html
8.5 years ago, my current 8th grade class was starting 1st Grade, and many were using PCs for the 1st time. Windows '95 was MS's "consumer" option, NT 4 was the best option available from MS. OS/2 Warp 4 and Mac OS8 were competitors. Fortunately, MS Bob had died an early death, and could be found (if at all) in dollar stores.
2005-12 = 1993
http://toastytech.com/guis/guitimeline3.html
Current U.S. high school seniors were entering 1st Grade, and many were using PCs for the first time. The main OS choices are Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1 (there were no previous versions), OS/2 V2, PC-Geos, Amiga Workbench 3, and Mac (not sure which version, sorry).
Fortunately, Lotus 1-2-3 was no longer considered as a viable option (see quote "In the single-tasking MS-DOS 1-2-3 was sometimes used as a complete environment" at http://www.answers.com/topic/lotus-1-2-3
In light of all this, it is foolish to assume that any OS that students use in school, or university, will be vaguely similar to the similarly-titled offerings available when they graduate and go into the "real world". No one can say that Win XP would be quickly intuitive to a Win 3.1 user, and yet wouldn't be much harder for an Amiga Workbench user to learn.
Therefore, it is irrelevant to claim that students will have to learn a new OS when they graduate; and I would think that encouraging students to try new things is an important part of teaching "computers"; it is in my classroom, at least
(see: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=140414&cid=11
Actually, even though my PC Lab is predominantly MS, I think teaching students to use just one OS is an injustice. When the kids in the early grades graduate, who knows what the predominant OS will be?
When I was in 6th Grade, TRS-80s were in my grade school. For 8th Grade "Graduation", I got my own C-64. In High School, I used TRS-80s at one school, and Apple II's at another. A friend had one of those IBM PCs; you know, a PC JR?
I know that architecture and OS's really aren't evolving as drastically as they did then, but I hope you get my point. I'm more concerned about my students learning concepts than specifics. If my goal is for them to be able to use a word processor, we use both Word and OpenOffice. If my goal is for them to be able to make a web page, we use DreamWeaver and Notepad.
It should be easy enough for non-geeks to look for a word processor or web browser icon on the desktop, if the flavor of Linux is set up properly. Taking the time to get 1 install right is worth it, when setting up a lab of identical machines. I only have 20 PCs in our biggest lab (we're a small private school), but I still make a recovery DVD that I can use to re-image a system and have it usable for a class.
Obviously, with OSS, the legal hassles that can occur with multiple PCs using the same image are minimal.
And if Windows/Office are that much easier to use, then it should be no big deal for them to learn to use them when they reach university.
Why do I use MS so much if I feel this way? Private schools are forced to choose between what is best and what the parents think is best for the students. I must balance cost-effectiveness with what parents will demand their children have access to.
The only flaw I see with your theory, as it applies to this new WiFi model costing comsumre s extra. If a company has X dollars for ad revenue, they can choose where to spend it. It can be in print, Tv, or WiFI strip-banners, but it doesn't mean that they will necessarily spend more money (and thusly, charge more) just because there is a new method of advertising. They may have an initial extra expenditure, but they'll quickly decide (if they're a well-run business) which methods work best for them.
In other words, advertising is an overhead cost; companies can reduce it, but they're well aware that they can't do without it completely.
Okay, I went home and checked. I've got 5000+ songs as mp3 files, and theres lots of music I can think of that I don't have. Okay, so much of that came from ripping my 100s of CDs; but not everybody does it that way.
500 songs? Just think of 100 bands you like 2 songs from, and 4 bands who you just have to have all 50 (pulling a # out of the air) songs they've ever released. And don't forget to count all the 100 1 hit wonders and so on, or if you actually have a spouse or sig.other who likes some tunes, too. And the idea is that I don't have to know them off the top of my head; I look through the PC and see them.
I think the worst effect from a "dirty bomb" would be the evacuation- imagine the mobs fleeing NYC on 9/11; now imagine the whole city, Long Island, and northern New Jersey fleeing in panic- traffic deaths would double that year.
Now add in the looters (95% of the population is gone? Let's get their stuff!) and those with nowhere to go (homeless, fugitives; that's like 3% of NYC, right?)- The Northeast Corridor of the US would be hell, with just 1 dirty bomb.
Even if the bomb killed noone, I think there would be many deaths resulting from it.
Some US /.'ers might not be aware of the TV licensing in Britain (and other nations?) where there is a government-backed system of monitoring who has a TV, and who has a LICENSE for a TV.
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/index.jsp
While the system may make some sense, it was a bit of a surprise to me, finding out how the BBC funded many of the programs I thought were just put out by the govt there as a sort of handout; "we've made this good stuff just for you, no thanks, we don't accept payment, etc".
So, someone who DLs TV shows there, but doesn't own a TV (read: TV License) is taking something he didn't pay (fully) for, and doesn't have a right to use.
But, before I sound too holier-than-thou, I'm still completing my "Father Ted" collection on WinMX.
http://www.fathertedonline.ukf.net/
I know this wasn't really part of your point, but I know a lot of people who'd rather have 10000 songs at a low quality, than 1000 at high quality. Low quality isn't necessarily a deterrent to file-share hogs.
Not per Schlock Mercenary... "The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy; nothing more, nothing less."
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/
Can't wait for the military to ask for the Special Forces troops, etc. to give up one good eye for an even "better" one. And better lungs, so that he can go for hours without breathing (makes gas masks less important).
i tpgs/manplus.html
4 /042404.htm
And then, of course, those "lustful urges" will be a distraction and discipline issue, so we'll nip that in the bud...
ManPlus by Fredirik Pohl. Read it.
Here's some background from Google http://www.routledge-ny.com/ref/cyborgcitizen/cyc
A Soldier First. A Soldier Always. The Warrior ethos http://www.tradoc.army.mil/pao/TNSarchives/April0
Unlike some however, I don't see this concept as a completely bad thing. Some people would be quite happy to be part of a cyborg. If it comes about because their physical difficulties were abated, why not offer them more options? If my eyesight is poor, why not give me 20/20, 400X zoom, IR, Xray, UV and starlight vision? And if that makes me a slightly better sniper (just slightly, mind you), so be it.
OK, I use PayPal, but even I see where this could be an example of letting SlashDot do your homework. In 3 months, will PayPal be announcing a new option for funds transfer? Or should I be thinking that the mere mention of Open Source means that Anonymous Writer's curiousity is purely innocent? Because no one on /. would be blinded to rational thought and deeper motives just because of mere mentions of words
Microsoft Apple Linux Nintendo SCO BillGates
I'm a computer teacher (or, Technology Director), and I couldn't agree more. I have a PC Lab with enough PCs for the biggest class, and then some. Each classroom, other than mine, has at least 1 PC. The only rooms with more than one are our English classrooms (typing up reports) and our math classroom (we have some specialized assistance CDs). I'm looking to replace the PCs in the English classes with Quickpads, basically overpriced word processors (I love them , but $200 US is still a bit steep for a keyboard with some RAM). Eventually, we'll have enough of these for an entire class to use at once, and it will take away some of the distraction that comes from working on a PC.
I teach K-8th. Kindergarteners use the standard FreddiFish/Reader Rabbit CDs, but also get web browsing, searching ( I put words on the board for them to find in Yahooligans search). Starting in 1st grade, no more CDs. They learn word processing, image editing, CAD, spreadsheets, presentations, programming, and more. I talk about DRM, copyright, hacking, and piracy,and try to give reasonable views on both sides of most issues.
Fortunately, I teach at a (VERY) small private school. I decide the curriculum, and although I don't determine our budget, I do decide what it's spent on. I don't replace old PCs because they're old, I replace them only if they're junk. I.E., I got rid of our eMachines 466's, but still have an IBM Intellistation running as a fileserver. I didn't buy LCD monitors because they look cool, but because our building wiring couldn't support the number of CRTs we had in the lab. I tell parents to never throw a PC out, bring it in to me if they don't want it (yes, some are junk, but some aren't- it's worth the time it takes).
I get to show the students Open Source alternatives (but can't use them exclusively; too many parents are still convinced MS is best). I also encourage the kids to learn from old tech, even though I try to keep the lab up to date. I've got a Quadra 800, a Mac SE, and even an Atari 2600 as examples of computing's history. Eventually, I'll break down and buy an abacus, just to show kids what computers were meant to do.
I encourage kids to play around with a new program, before I explain how to use it. I work with the kids that have advanced knowledge, and on the few occasions I've had problems with "hacking", it's been ended quickly. I think its because I talk with the kids about what's going on now, and don't just give them assignments from a curriculum approved two years ago, that the class works so well.
It's nice to be getting paid for doing what you'd do if you were rich.
I could only type with one hand ( I'm driving right now and don't have a hands-free kit yet).
I've had a good experience with lowesthosting.com , though their e-mail space is a bit small. Also, I'm not sure if it's possible to expand your e-mail/web storage past their defaults - 100mb web, 50 mb databases, 50 mb e-mail.
I put my personal site on there, and then used them to set up e-mail for my employer
www.kimvin.com and www.seashoreschool.com
I haven't had any downtime with them, and although I expected their customer service to be sparse, they actually responded promptly and accurately when I had technical questions (of course, I had made effort to find info on my own first; they may have appreciated that). I'd switch my employer's actual website to them, but I'm getting far more web storage with the current host, who charges a high rate for the OFFICIAL capacity, but I've had over 650 Mb of files on the website and never had an issue storage-wise. Of course, we have 3-4 day outages every other month or so (www.emanse.net is that host - use at your own risk).
An excellent suggestion; quick, quiet, and highly efficient. If the poster goes with filling the inside of the building, however, the amount of propellant involved could become problematic, in regards to fire safety.
Of course, if he's OK with burying the building in popcorn, maybe a large amount of pocorn adhered to the outside (something non-toxic and biodegradable of course; honey?) would do, instead. Spray it on, using the aforementioned blown-in insuation machines.
I use an ix104 tablet, no trackpad and great digitizer pen/touchscreen options. The cpu (866P3) is a bit slow, though.
1st generation now available at several surplus sites, got mine at isellsurplus.com for ~$1000
Try http://www.isellsurplus.com/product.asp?id=8467&c= 7&s=184
$1200 for the ix104 with touch-screen built-in
I've had mine for over a month, and I'm using it to replace my desktop PC at work, and the PC I use at home for e-mail and browsing. I may not play Doom3, but it can handle Quake 3 if I wanted it to, and even some DV editing.
I'll quote and respond...
Most illegal immigrants will end up staying here, especially the ones who grow up here. Rounding all of them up and deporting them is, aside from being morally questionable and practically difficult, a political impossibility. So our choice isn't to have them or not have them; the choice is whether we aid them in becoming productive citizens or not.
I AGREE 100% - They must become productive CITIZENS; meaning they become subject to all laws and regulations, pay taxes, etc.
Ever driven over the speed limit? Well, you're not law abiding either. Clearly, we should make sure your kids can't go to school.
I am aware of the consequences of driving over the speed limit. When I have received a ticket for this offense (I won't take the easy way out and say "mistake"), I have paid it, and accepted the consequences. When illegals in many parts of NJ are picked up by the police, there is nothing the police can do. There is no legal record of them in the US, and the local INS offices will NOT ACT on any reports.
Honestly, have you ever met an illegal immigrant? Coming here, even from Mexico, is hardly a cakewalk. The ones I've met have all been serious, honest, and hardworking. Their willingness to dodge the INS implies nothing about their willingness to commit other, more serious crimes.
Yes, I have met them, worked with them, annd had to compete with them for work. I admire their determination, and their commitment to their families. I wish more American citizens were like them, and that would be my goal. Americans who lived through the nation's Depression often have a very serious outlook, and were grateful for the OPPORTUNITY TO WORK (not a phrase you hear in the US much anymore).
The notion that they are one-way drains on the economy or make this place harder for you to live is unsupported by the data.
Obviously- it is difficult to get data on those who, by the nature of their presence here, are undocumented.
Unless your life's dream was to become a dishwasher, that is. The reason they don't pay income taxes is because we don't let them. Some of them would still probably work under the table if they could, but that's true of citizens as well. Ditto for auto insurance. They probably do pay property taxes; as most are renters, that's taken care of through their rent. And I can pretty much guarantee you that most people working at the wages that illegal immigrants get are not paying for health insurance, so that's hardly something you can pin on illegals either.
My life's dream may not be washing dishes, but although I am now a computer instructor, I have washed dishes for a living. I have also been a laborer, a "maintenance man", a security guard, and a production worker. All of these were low-wage (or minimum wage) jobs, and yet I paid taxes, I paid auto insurance (when I had a car), I paid for my health insurance, and when I had food, I paid for it.
And immigrants, legal and otherwise, provide the economy with substantial benefits.
I agree- they are doing work that many Americans don't want to; I don't know many teenagers in my area who work at a fast-food place, washes dishes, fixes appliances, buses tables, or mows lawns. We (Americans), as a society, want everything everyone else has, and are willing to go into debt 3 times over to do so.
One study [economist.com] mentions that once you count an immigrant's children, taxpayers make an $80,000 profit on each immigrant. That's not evenly distributed; costs of schooling come now, and the taxes come later. But given our demographics, that's a great thing: if it weren't for immigration, we'd be facing a demographic time bomb just like Europe.
I mostly agree with you here, too. I have NO problem with immigrants coming in, whether it's from Mexico, Hungary, or India. But for our e
OK, let me first say that I am only against ILLEGAL immigrants, not those who use the existing system. But I do have a few issues with your post...
Humanitarian considerations aside, society pays a heavy cost if illegal immigrants are afraid to report crime or if their children are forced to be sick, malnourished, and ignorant.
Our socety may pay a cost, but our taxpayers shouldn't. If illegal immigrants are afraid to report crime, and can't get free health care, maybe they won't be so tempted to come here anymore.
Whether we should let them come is one question, but as long as they are here to stay we might as well make sure they make it.
I disagree. Making sure they're OK while they're here is something we should do for our citizens, and for law-abiding guests from other countries. As illegal immigrants, they are already not law-abiding. As unfunded drains on our economy (often paying no taxes on property or income, and because of their situation, usually not carrying health, life, or auto insurance), they make this a harder place for me to live.
Do I sound harsh? Sorry. But I'd rather see MY money (meaning the taxes I pay, that illegals don't) spent on making Mexico a better place, than supporting people who, by the nature of their presence here, are making the US a less law-abiding and less well-regulated nation. And, yes I do mean that; send some more global aid south, and maybe we can get everybody happier.
Actually, true narrow-minded Americans know that Europe lies everywhere (and all the time).
In that shot, the 2nd object almost looks like it has a shadow, with a gap between it and the ground.
Hmmm, that's weird.