Now, that could augment the MILES or ALICE packs for soliders ummm soldiers humping huge 150 lb packs on their bodies.
New wince-inducing DOD-targeted adverts from drug-OD'd marketing contractors:
"Enemy closing ing? Gotta take a shit on the run? Adjust your servos and just squat a bit. Might need a mirror and an extender accessory, though... But, we have that extension in beta...It's called "MILES Behind, and ALICE Hind Loader"
Gives a new take on the German word that sounds like "Hingerlader"... Just twist this to "Hinge-Loader" (Hey, no cultural swipes here... I've got German, Spanish, French and 3 other bloodlines in me...)
SHIT, years ago I suggested to at least one IT department in which I worked that kiosks could be set up. Bolt/lock down the e-mail to company use ONLY, and set it to internal use only. Anything else can be done on an exposed kiosk-like PC. People will just have to discipline themselves to not waste time lining up more than once every 2 hours.
As much as I think it's NICE to be able to check our e-mail when we WANT, it's not a smart thing to have everybody's computer exposed to the increasingly dangerous nodes and zombies lurking on the Net.
Same goes for surfing. Need to check something? Go to the kiosk machine. A LOT of people (myself included) get *sucked* into the "fucking Internet" 2-3 times longer than we really would like because "one thing leads to another" somehow manages to kick in. It doesn't HELP that IT departments and managers who monitor don't say something sooner for some people. A meter or indicator could help a lot of people judiciously manage their habit or addiction to information. Hunt for your pages, then DOWNLOAD them, and then GET OFF, like in the days when surfing COST.
Unfortunately, for a lot of marketing types, it might be very painful to have millions upon millions of typical "surf drones" change their habits to slurp-and-download-to-read-later and then get OFF the Net from being a duped and dazzled click-monkey. I suppose a new form of bot-bugging will get written for that kind of surfing, though.
Alternatively, people can buy cell phones or if they are lucky enough to work in a city-funded municipal Wi-Fi zone, then they can (if permitted by employer) fire up their laptop in the company breakroom (where they're less likely to risk being caught illicitly transporting company documents while they pretend to) surf or check their e-mail on their break time.
(In some parts of this I assume that your work site is not a Faraday cage and that your employer or other external sources are not jamming or scrambling portions of the EM spectrum intentionally or as a byproduct of running heavy or powerful electronic machinery.)
Maybe that'll start showing up in company quarterly reports... how "productivity measures improved and reflect better employee attention, output, and increased return on investment..."
IFF you're onto something, then this could have serious implications for sailors. I slept near transformers, power line, 60Hz lighting fixtures, and worked around teletypes, printers, copiers, and some 10 UHF transceivers and maybe 7 or 10 UHF transmitters as well as a load of converters, couplers receivers O-scopes and a number of low-leve/low-voltage patch panels.
Plus, I spent time in CIC, working on those printers as well as standing some watches during GQ.
If there were real problems there (with "dirty electricity"), I'd imagine we'd have a BUNCH of loose cannons among all seafaring nations. Imagine all the crews sleeping in their tanks and planes wen on operational maneuvers. I imagine their SLEEPING POSITIONS cause them more problems.
As a civilian, I worked in computer labs or around computers. I don't recall being significantly affected during my conscious state.
As for my computer at home, I years used to run 8 computers sometimes 24x7 on the weekends and some nights during the week. They were less than 20 feet away in another room. Don't recall problems from them.
As for my computer now, it is about 3 to 4 feet from my head, whether I'm working at my desk or in my bed. It runs 24x7, and the only thing about it that bothers me is the HDD is a bit noisier than my newer disk, but I haven't felt bothered ENOUGH to swap the disks out. And it's even quieter than the fan. The older one is noisier than the fan.
I think I'm more worried about the DUST in my studio than the dirty electricity possibility.
Try his, if you haven't:
-Open the windows and let in some sunlight -Keep the air circulated -Stretch/exercise periodically -Mind what you eat; keep your ~~70% body water level balanced -Use the bathroom when the body beckons -Don't STARE at the computer display all day -DON'T go to bed zapped or stressed (do some situps or isometrics or something to unwind and then take a shower before hopping into bed) -Read or think or reflect on neutral ideas or meditate a few minutes before dozing off. -I sleep under blanketing and on an air mattress, and I keep it mushy, not firm -- so I can "sink in" and -- it makes me feel better (and, since my upper body is heavier, I end up sleeping head-down a bit, unless I prop up my head or sandwich my ears between my two pillows) T- turn on some "white noise" or soft, non-jarring music. I like turning it to the point that only a FEW notes and instruments make it to my ear
- Turn off bright lights (lighting "burns" my eyes when I try to sleep at night -- I usually put my eyes under or between two pillows (hehehe, a joke could be made here...))
-Adjust your sleep so that when you wake up it's when your BODY want's to get up, not when your daily ACTIVITIES compel you get out of bed
"How many people do you have working in/on your company's Internet/Intranet and Extranet sites and applications? How many full-time web-application developers, content providers, analytics people, UI designers, email marketing people, and so forth?"
Every time I see something like the text quoted, (and this is the 3rd time in about as many weeks that I've seen such questions here -- not to attack the Slash Staff, btw...) I feel like it's a probe question. I wonder if it's well-crafted and paid for so that the readers get all riled up and reply. Like the people with nicknames, but personal web pages. You then go on to say how many MySQL devs, and so on you have, trying to help out this guy. For all you know, it could be post-worthy by Slashdot staff standards, but the poster or piece-writer could be looking for sales avenues leading to sales revenues.
Some of you guys out to be wary of being "taggable" while disclosing what products you use. You never know: that could be Oracle or ms digging for treasure. If your company is susceptible to discounts and promises of upgrades and marketing dollars, YOU could be out of a job if they replace YOUR tool of choice...
This is the sort of stuff that pisses me off. I once thought about putting stuff up on "deviantart.com", but I cringed at their license requiring posters to surrender certain copyright aspects. In typical lawyerese, they tell you how you own what you submitted, then in a later page, paragraph, and clause, they take it or some of it back.
Now, I realise that what I create may be of no interest to all out there. I also realize that by posting someting on the Internet that it can be copied. But, under THOSE circumstances, I am not making any agreements with copies that they can do certain additional things with my works that normal copyright law would forbid so long as I don't enter into a written or certain types of non-written agreements.
And, I realize that free hosting sites (as do many commercial or business sites) DO need to back up their work for site operation and continuity of experience for the visitors.
So, after reading "deviantart.com"'s license I felt I had to write them. They SO FAR never wrote back. It's been since March 3rd, 20 full days. Apparently, they must feel incensed that I would challenge them and possibly open up the idea that they ard others are some sort of uncouth Artistic Intellectual Property vacuum machines.
As a solution, in addition to their asking for donations, they ALSO need to strike out the BS grab-action on people's IP and should start charging, even if they only charge $1 or $5 per month per artist. Like in micropayments.
=================
Below is the verbatim/entire text of the e-mail I sent them via my gmail account (which shows that I asked the wrong question of them). I am sure they'll try to claim they never got it. Or that their irresponsible web master/help manager erred in not forwarding it to their legal department for review....
==================
To: help@deviantart.com
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Trash this message | Show original
Hi,
I want to sign up, but I have a copyrights/intellectual property rights concern.
I do have some technical background, so I fully appreciate and understand the *technical* need to ensure the site operates nicely. But, that does not require content owners to dilute their ownership of their works as I interpret the "submission" agreement.
And, legally I understand your need to not be dragged into some litigious process, so it is quite reasonable that require us to hold you harmless and non-liable...
I have read the agreements and the submission agreement pages.
I understand (and expect):
2. Ownership. Artist at all times retains all right, title and interest in and to the Artist Materials provided by Artist hereunder (including, without limitation, the copyrights in and to the Artist Materials), subject to the non-exclusive rights in the licenses granted to deviantART under this Agreement. Artist is free to grant similar rights to others during and after the Term of this Agreement.
========= But, I would like to know why I must grant anyone some level of what I feel results in "co-ownership" of my works. I feel this would result based on my reading/interpretation of (From "submission"):
a) worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use Artist's name(s), group name, photograph and/or likeness(es) and biographical materials in connection with the distribution, exploitation, promotion, marketing and advertising of the Artist Materials, and the deviantART Site(s)as described hereunder, during the Term;
=========
Thanks for clearing up matters, as I am someone who is quite loath to surrender or dilute my 100% ownership of my works.
Regards,
David Syes
==================
I bunged that letter, and maybe THAT is why they didn't respond. However, I think they are smart enough to realize that and decided to not reply.
Maybe Dell wants to be in a position to leverage it's sales base such that they can start to ease the Intel pressure on them?
Well, I'm supposing that Dell WON'T remove AlienWare's name and look and feel.
BTW, didn't some high-level guy from Dell disavow or say there was no substantiation to the rumor? I love it when these people, thinking they can manipulate stock prices, public sentiment, and control the rumor mill just flat out LIE as if that will improve their image, too... It's ONE thing to say, "we're in an NDA situation; yes there ARE discussions, obviously because I just said we're in an NDA situation. Why don't you just wait for any new developments?"
I think I'll start paying MORE attention to these rumors that turn out true when they lie about them.
SlashAdmins, a new idea: Keep track of the rumors. The more the rumors turn out true when in opposite of the corporate gatekeepers of information, then the more negative karma they get. IOW, if they lie, then call them on it.
This way, we don't just CALL them on the carpet, we DRAG them and give them rug burn over it. Make'em be "good corporate citizens...".
Open Source, too? Imagine the laptop manufacturers/assemblers, too. They could save on the need to install the obligatory hard drive.
Now, if they could get virtual OS testing done on their hardware, they could reduce the size of or eliminate fans.
Then, if the LT mfrs don't need to ship a hard drive, the weight goes down, too. Then, the form factor can change a bit. That space can be filled with more peripherals, maybe a peripherals dock or insert, where *nuxs can be all-system on the 32 GB disk/stick and data on another removable block; *doze an be drive C:\ on the 32 GB disk/stick, and if there are complaints about vista gobbling up disk space, then that can be a punishment for ms and their bs disk-gobbling campaign. Drive D:\ can be, as in the case of the *nuxs, the data space.
Having the OS and the data forced to be separate due to physical size/memory/storage constraints of the media could be a GOOD thing. Devices can be made smaller, lighter, and less power-hungry. Even if the LCD IS taking some 25-35% of the battery power, having an OS with few writes to its own area, and having users become used to occasionally copying their data to offline storage might be an interesting change in the industry. Now, if the DVD spinning could be dispensed with by having an nutating or wide-scan optical reader... (burning could still need a motor, I suppose...)
Now, to keep ms from creating another anti-trust issue, this time over the access to and pricing of the blank disks... I could just see it now... (sycophantic, shrill ms lawyers and marketing) "We must deter piracy and illegal license us of disks product activation codes...." ala the blank CD/DVD pricing/padding to combat music & movie "piracy"...
"The proposed rule [PDF], which does contain some substantive protections for the processing of electronic returns, was published in the Federal Register on December 8, 2005."
Wow, this should be modded up. Several of the replies to me were worthy of mods up.
Thanks for the criticism... constructive or otherwise. I'll be able to use some of the things here.
To the other poster: Canada is nice. I've been there. Made some friends their years ago. Back in 2002 when I was trying to start a business plan for an Internet Cafe/diner, I accidentally ran into business codes and health care and compliance documents on the net and found some of it extremely interesting in that it gave me a different perspective on US-based taxing, health care and such. I ended up with better angles on my plan and something in me made me write the plan to pay myself $12 or so per hour and up to 3 or 4 employees $9 per hour. The entire spread sheet (a workbook with several sheets) was so detailed the SBA/SBDC/SCORE counselor said, "You didn't write a BUSINESS PLAN; you wrote a COURSE, a THESIS" and told me to pare it down. But, he and several bankers liked it. Two bankers lied that they didn't have it, but since I had bound it in a special covering, I caught one in his like and made him give it back, since he wasn't interested in LENDING to me. (I had already had a 2nd mort on my home, and no banks wanted to be 3rd fiddle...)
Sometimes I feel I could probably license or sale the plan to some biz colleges as a model for students. But, I figure others out there probably have similar things going on.
Damn. Wow. I'll admit I used some terse language. But, there is NOTHING flamebait about recounting my PERSONAL experience. It's amazing how our experiences are colored by the filters through which we see things, and someone decides I'm flamebaiting. Why the hell would a flamebaiter spend an hour crafting and spell-checking and grammar-checking a tome such as mine? Aren't most flamebaiters firing off one-liners and obvious stuff. Who reading what I wrote could say it is an utter non-truth. You can't even prove it's true.
But, I am sure the others who took the time to read this gave me the beneft of the doube, and they time counts more than the modder who ascribed 20% flamebait to me. I am willing to bet that 40% of the US population born here AND immigrated here has or WILL have experienced or heard from some what who has experienced what I did -- once they try to start or run a business as a law-abiding (read, gullible) person. Call THEM a flamebaiter at the peak of their rage and they'll probably set upon you with a word or two. But, for me, its mostly in the past...
Damn, I thought there was a steady bang! How'd "Steady State" get there?
Steady Bang, Solid State theory, anyone?
Well, at least Nature had the sense of humor to give several meanings to "bang" that don't have to deal with guns or cannons or emerge from the hot end of a barrel...
If you run a business and do it as SP, and something goes wrong, some one can sue your ASS off and wipe you out.
If you at least incorporate, and and have the misfortune of being sued, then, so long as you have no improper operations or gross/egregious negligence, then you stand a vastly greater chance of keeping your personal assets OUT of the hands of legit or frivolous lawsuits (well, as long as your assets are not enticing your attorney to ask for a stake in them...)
Also, I incorporated to have a bit more "legitimacy" in the eyes of potential book sellers and local stored. I managed to sell three copies to one store. Plus, IF -- by some wild stroke of luck -- the business grew faster than I expected, then at least the accounts and activities would be isolated from me personally (with the exception that my original material would never leave my ownership as long as I'm alive and have anything to say or do about it) and it might then be possible to do business with bigger or other businesses expressing interest and respect for my stance on IP.
Not incorporating leaves you without a legit corporate shield. It's more of a headache, but I don't really want to commingle my personal income and assets with the business itself. An, in Oregon, other than paying $200 for a power of attorney to take your mail in the event you get sued or the state has to subpoena you or somesuch thing needs you OTHER than your home address, then Oregon is probably a better deal for incorporated home-based businesses (that don't have my personal issues) than is California. Unless you don't like rain and poor people. But, Portland itself is pricey as hell for retail space, and they have some interesting employee taxes there for companies setting up shop. I think they also drove away some big-name paper and manufacturing businesses to the other side of the bay/river.
Even a kid (SOME, not ALL) selling lemonade probably should incorporate if they're making enough money (to cover the annual tax, or at least quite the first year and then incorporate a DIFFERENT line of business, since California keeps an eye on people who [cough cough] "go in and out of business to avoid [cough cough] "their tax obligation") and want to someday incorporate a BIGGER business. Taxes and compliance can be a pain in the ass, and coordinating all the forms, submitting to questionnaires on time, filing reports and so forth bog down so many entrepreneurs and bigger business that it out to be criminal to demand too much information, unless the state (or State) creates a direct portal that allows those interested businesses to (do a Borg/neural) linkup.
But, some will say NEVER, EVER let the government get into your business affairs, or they'll find new ways to regulate or tax not just YOUR business, but every other startup and existing business. That may be true, but if they're going to tax our asses off, I'd like to have less damned paperwork associated with it. Snoop my employee base, look at the activities, snoop the cashflow, ping my suppliers, [cough cough run (secret)] credit checks, whatever,... just cut back on the goddamned paperwork.
I can deal with a few skirmishes here and there. What I DON'T like is the (local) government inviting the public into my HOME when I am not even running or trying to run an open-shop/open-to-public business. It's not THEIR place to publish non-commercial entities' private areas if a city planner can visit and verify the premises is run according to the filings. Would they do this to an EMBASSY or consulate? (Oh, no that's "foreign property" (anyone remember bugged embassies?); but, all else needs a floor plan so the cops of auditors know what to look for...)
I did move. I, but not from SF. It was in central Kalifornia that this happened. I moved to the Portland, OR area. It was amazingly simple to get incorporated. Just go to the DOR (Department of Revenue). I think it was all of about $30 to file.
Even better, compared to KA, you DON'T have to pay $800 a year "for the privilege of doing business in sunny, temperate, big, surfin' California." I don't give a RAT that CA tries to appease new busineses by saying new corporations are exempt their first year from paying the $800 franchise/incorporation fee. It's HIGHWAY robbery for small businesses and chump change for big businesses that actually MAKE money. If at the end of the State and IRS filing year and after examination of the "true" submission of my business and personal income statements my business didn't bring in a damned penny (my short-lived OR-based company sold only 3 copies ($60 worth) of copies of my "art", but in CA this would cost me like hell if I tried to do it here and persist here) then my/a business shouldn't have to pay $800 a year. CA'sr excuse was "Well, your business enjoys certain benefits from being incorporated in California. One of them is that you get listed with the Chambers of Commerce in every city in the state. " WWWOOOPTY fuckin' do. HELLO! McFly, this is 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. I can do THAT myself via the Internetsss.. I mean INterneT. If I screw with the public and my customers, I AND my company'll end up in the BBB'S DATABASSE. Wasting companies' money and time. To run opulent programs. SOME government programs (when not abuse or when minimally abused) are extremely beneficial to the public, but extracting $800 a year (minimum, it's only the MINIMUM) when it is clear that that business is doing terribly but still needs time to try to "make it" is NOT business friendly.
Anyway, in Salem, OR I submitted articles of incorporation (basically 8 pages of self-written legalese to serve as a poison pill to deter piratical types of investors or competitors from submitting spurious bullshit contracts to try to buy out through coercive and/or adversarial terms what I was doing), and drove back to the Portland area. I spent about a week poring through more city-level political/technical mumbo jumbo for about 4 or 5 surrounding , and was glad I didn't live in specifically in Portland city proper.
However, at the city level, I again experienced something similar to that central Kalifornia city. This time, I was a bit more prepared. I can't remember EVERYthing that transpired, but the main things were that the local-level functionary told me that EVERYthing in the spare room in which I would conduct business in my apartment was considered "business property or assets". She said anything that was in reach-- if I used it out touched or breathed it in the function of my business, it was business property and that at the end of the year the county assessor would tally up the value and then determine whether or not to assess a tax. I was dumbstruck. I wanted to SCREAM. However, she continued, the assessment wouldn't kick in unless I had some $11,000 in assessable stuff. Even so, the tax was very low, something like 1% or maybe even 1/2 of 1%. The small tax wasn't the real problem. Then, I told her my business would have virtually NO assets: only ONE computer I would "give" it, some labelmaking and printing equipment, and maybe a calculator and a chair. The computer desk was 4 piec
... because the area you live in is zoned as residential. Then, you try to explain you're ONLY doing business via the web and on your computer. There's no noise, light, vibration, fumes, em-emissions... no customers coming to the house, and even if there IS an OCCASIONAL business meeting, the neighbors won't know the visitors from regular visitors.
Then, the clerk tells you need to get a neighborhood review, you need to disclose in drawing, almost architecturally, you layout of your business area in relation to the home area, you need to list and describe ALL your equipment used for the business, and so forth. ALL neighbors within 250 or 300 feet of your house are entitled to shoot down your getting a permit. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO is oppose you. Slow you down. Discourage you. Waste your time and money. Force you out of the neighborhood or make you return to corporate America (whether or not they have an agenda to do so) outside of YOUR terms... You can appeal, fight, and win, but...
It will take weeks. You have a zillion and one things to do: deal with the IRS, BOE, FTB, county registrar, find a newspaper to advertise in for 4 or 6 weeks, decide if you're REALLY ready to commit in spite of all the legal and procedural and code crap thrown at you.
Because you mention you're ONLY doing business via the internet and from home, you're assumed to be a perv, or a thief, or an ID grabber. You then are told you have to visit with the local police department: be photographed, thumb printed, and registered. And you're trying to run a SOFTWARE and art company and not doing anything related to anatomy or adult entertainment. Nevermind, that city doesn't want to become a haven for ID thieves and high tech criminals. It's not personal... so they say
You try to explain your neighborhood has more noise from the cars zooming up an down the street, that there is a 45-foot moving van owned by a homeowner who brings it home EVERYday... you try to convey your concerns that the pseudo ganger-banger kid next door might decide to burgle your home and fence your shit...
The city and county officials tell you to go to a city council meeting to express your concerns. They then tell you you must be a city resident, and must prove it by giving your name, address, and such before and to the committee/council and those present. It will be televised.
Talk about running a MODERN entrepreneur out of town (a town win piss-ant, archaic codes that do more harm to small, quiet, budding businesses).
Yes, that happened to me. IN CALIFORNIA. Fortunately, the timing of that bullshit coincided with my selling my home before any foreclosure happend. Talk about having your entrepreneurial spirit smashed by close-minded, myopic city planners looking out for money more than sensibility.
"I'll just say that you don't get a hangover from grape juice."
How much to drink to have your ASS hung over the toilet?
Oh, wait, I guess that would be prune juice... (Um, oh wait, if you're in SOME certain state, "prunes" is/was out of favor and "dried plums" was campaigned for very hard...)
Maybe rub on the habaneros and then salve on the grape juice with some talcum powder.... preceded by an ice cube...
Slashdot Mirror
Now, that could augment the MILES or ALICE packs for soliders ummm soldiers humping huge 150 lb packs on their bodies.
New wince-inducing DOD-targeted adverts from drug-OD'd marketing contractors:
"Enemy closing ing? Gotta take a shit on the run? Adjust your servos and just squat a bit. Might need a mirror and an extender accessory, though... But, we have that extension in beta...It's called "MILES Behind, and ALICE Hind Loader"
Gives a new take on the German word that sounds like "Hingerlader"... Just twist this to "Hinge-Loader" (Hey, no cultural swipes here... I've got German, Spanish, French and 3 other bloodlines in me...)
I wish to HAL I'd thought of THAT one, too!
Now, I hope you have one HAL of a day, man!
hehe image word: musical
Now, that would be ONE HAL of a FEET, wouldn't it?
SHIT, years ago I suggested to at least one IT department in which I worked that kiosks could be set up. Bolt/lock down the e-mail to company use ONLY, and set it to internal use only. Anything else can be done on an exposed kiosk-like PC. People will just have to discipline themselves to not waste time lining up more than once every 2 hours.
As much as I think it's NICE to be able to check our e-mail when we WANT, it's not a smart thing to have everybody's computer exposed to the increasingly dangerous nodes and zombies lurking on the Net.
Same goes for surfing. Need to check something? Go to the kiosk machine. A LOT of people (myself included) get *sucked* into the "fucking Internet" 2-3 times longer than we really would like because "one thing leads to another" somehow manages to kick in. It doesn't HELP that IT departments and managers who monitor don't say something sooner for some people. A meter or indicator could help a lot of people judiciously manage their habit or addiction to information. Hunt for your pages, then DOWNLOAD them, and then GET OFF, like in the days when surfing COST.
Unfortunately, for a lot of marketing types, it might be very painful to have millions upon millions of typical "surf drones" change their habits to slurp-and-download-to-read-later and then get OFF the Net from being a duped and dazzled click-monkey. I suppose a new form of bot-bugging will get written for that kind of surfing, though.
Alternatively, people can buy cell phones or if they are lucky enough to work in a city-funded municipal Wi-Fi zone, then they can (if permitted by employer) fire up their laptop in the company breakroom (where they're less likely to risk being caught illicitly transporting company documents while they pretend to) surf or check their e-mail on their break time.
(In some parts of this I assume that your work site is not a Faraday cage and that your employer or other external sources are not jamming or scrambling portions of the EM spectrum intentionally or as a byproduct of running heavy or powerful electronic machinery.)
Maybe that'll start showing up in company quarterly reports... how "productivity measures improved and reflect better employee attention, output, and increased return on investment..."
Damn... started/multi-tasked reply while testing ask...didn't lop off the part about not finding stuff on myself...
But, how is "preview" enabled?
I am using Konq and Moz-ff and neither one is showing any previews. Is it browser/rev-dependent? Did I miss an activation?
I ran a search on my name and NOTHING about myself came up. Google brings back stuff on me most of the time.
I ran a search on 4 letters-hyphen-4 numbers and Ask returned back only THREE woefully-unrelated results.
Why ask Ask?
Maybe they need to "get their ask together?"....
funny... image word is "absconds"...
Well,
IFF you're onto something, then this could have serious implications for sailors. I slept near transformers, power line, 60Hz lighting fixtures, and worked around teletypes, printers, copiers, and some 10 UHF transceivers and maybe 7 or 10 UHF transmitters as well as a load of converters, couplers receivers O-scopes and a number of low-leve/low-voltage patch panels.
Plus, I spent time in CIC, working on those printers as well as standing some watches during GQ.
If there were real problems there (with "dirty electricity"), I'd imagine we'd have a BUNCH of loose cannons among all seafaring nations. Imagine all the crews sleeping in their tanks and planes wen on operational maneuvers. I imagine their SLEEPING POSITIONS cause them more problems.
As a civilian, I worked in computer labs or around computers. I don't recall being significantly affected during my conscious state.
As for my computer at home, I years used to run 8 computers sometimes 24x7 on the weekends and some nights during the week. They were less than 20 feet away in another room. Don't recall problems from them.
As for my computer now, it is about 3 to 4 feet from my head, whether I'm working at my desk or in my bed. It runs 24x7, and the only thing about it that bothers me is the HDD is a bit noisier than my newer disk, but I haven't felt bothered ENOUGH to swap the disks out. And it's even quieter than the fan. The older one is noisier than the fan.
I think I'm more worried about the DUST in my studio than the dirty electricity possibility.
Try his, if you haven't:
-Open the windows and let in some sunlight
-Keep the air circulated
-Stretch/exercise periodically
-Mind what you eat; keep your ~~70% body water level balanced
-Use the bathroom when the body beckons
-Don't STARE at the computer display all day
-DON'T go to bed zapped or stressed (do some situps or isometrics or something to unwind and then take a shower before hopping into bed)
-Read or think or reflect on neutral ideas or meditate a few minutes before dozing off.
-I sleep under blanketing and on an air mattress, and I keep it mushy, not firm -- so I can "sink in" and -- it makes me feel better (and, since my upper body is heavier, I end up sleeping head-down a bit, unless I prop up my head or sandwich my ears between my two pillows)
T- turn on some "white noise" or soft, non-jarring music. I like turning it to the point that only a FEW notes and instruments make it to my ear
- Turn off bright lights (lighting "burns" my eyes when I try to sleep at night -- I usually put my eyes under or between two pillows (hehehe, a joke could be made here...))
-Adjust your sleep so that when you wake up it's when your BODY want's to get up, not when your daily ACTIVITIES compel you get out of bed
"How many people do you have working in/on your company's Internet/Intranet and Extranet sites and applications? How many full-time web-application developers, content providers, analytics people, UI designers, email marketing people, and so forth?"
Every time I see something like the text quoted, (and this is the 3rd time in about as many weeks that I've seen such questions here -- not to attack the Slash Staff, btw...) I feel like it's a probe question. I wonder if it's well-crafted and paid for so that the readers get all riled up and reply. Like the people with nicknames, but personal web pages. You then go on to say how many MySQL devs, and so on you have, trying to help out this guy. For all you know, it could be post-worthy by Slashdot staff standards, but the poster or piece-writer could be looking for sales avenues leading to sales revenues.
Some of you guys out to be wary of being "taggable" while disclosing what products you use. You never know: that could be Oracle or ms digging for treasure. If your company is susceptible to discounts and promises of upgrades and marketing dollars, YOU could be out of a job if they replace YOUR tool of choice...
Just some thoughts...
of thrustin' I wouldn't need to hit the speed of sound to produce a screamin' jet...
Oh, wait... wrong jet wrong thrust, wrong pound...
(But, I WOULD pound my feet and scram outta there like a jet...)
(word image: minstrel)
Please!
This is the sort of stuff that pisses me off. I once thought about putting stuff up on "deviantart.com", but I cringed at their license requiring posters to surrender certain copyright aspects. In typical lawyerese, they tell you how you own what you submitted, then in a later page, paragraph, and clause, they take it or some of it back.
Now, I realise that what I create may be of no interest to all out there. I also realize that by posting someting on the Internet that it can be copied. But, under THOSE circumstances, I am not making any agreements with copies that they can do certain additional things with my works that normal copyright law would forbid so long as I don't enter into a written or certain types of non-written agreements.
And, I realize that free hosting sites (as do many commercial or business sites) DO need to back up their work for site operation and continuity of experience for the visitors.
So, after reading "deviantart.com"'s license I felt I had to write them. They SO FAR never wrote back. It's been since March 3rd, 20 full days. Apparently, they must feel incensed that I would challenge them and possibly open up the idea that they ard others are some sort of uncouth Artistic Intellectual Property vacuum machines.
As a solution, in addition to their asking for donations, they ALSO need to strike out the BS grab-action on people's IP and should start charging, even if they only charge $1 or $5 per month per artist. Like in micropayments.
=================
Below is the verbatim/entire text of the e-mail I sent them via my gmail account (which shows that I asked the wrong question of them). I am sure they'll try to claim they never got it. Or that their irresponsible web master/help manager erred in not forwarding it to their legal department for review....
==================
To: help@deviantart.com
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Trash this message | Show original
Hi,
I want to sign up, but I have a copyrights/intellectual property
rights concern.
I do have some technical background, so I fully appreciate and
understand the *technical* need to ensure the site operates nicely.
But, that does not require content owners to dilute their ownership of
their works as I interpret the "submission" agreement.
And, legally I understand your need to not be dragged into some
litigious process, so it is quite reasonable that require us to hold
you harmless and non-liable...
I have read the agreements and the submission agreement pages.
I understand (and expect):
2. Ownership. Artist at all times retains all right, title and
interest in and to the Artist Materials provided by Artist hereunder
(including, without limitation, the copyrights in and to the Artist
Materials), subject to the non-exclusive rights in the licenses
granted to deviantART under this Agreement. Artist is free to grant
similar rights to others during and after the Term of this Agreement.
=========
But, I would like to know why I must grant anyone some level of what I
feel results in "co-ownership" of my works. I feel this would result
based on my reading/interpretation of (From "submission"):
a) worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use Artist's
name(s), group name, photograph and/or likeness(es) and biographical
materials in connection with the distribution, exploitation,
promotion, marketing and advertising of the Artist Materials, and the
deviantART Site(s)as described hereunder, during the Term;
=========
Thanks for clearing up matters, as I am someone who is quite loath to
surrender or dilute my 100% ownership of my works.
Regards,
David Syes
==================
I bunged that letter, and maybe THAT is why they didn't respond. However, I think they are smart enough to realize that and decided to not reply.
However, had I sent what I intended, I imagin
Maybe Dell wants to be in a position to leverage it's sales base such that they can start to ease the Intel pressure on them?
Well, I'm supposing that Dell WON'T remove AlienWare's name and look and feel.
BTW, didn't some high-level guy from Dell disavow or say there was no substantiation to the rumor? I love it when these people, thinking they can manipulate stock prices, public sentiment, and control the rumor mill just flat out LIE as if that will improve their image, too... It's ONE thing to say, "we're in an NDA situation; yes there ARE discussions, obviously because I just said we're in an NDA situation. Why don't you just wait for any new developments?"
I think I'll start paying MORE attention to these rumors that turn out true when they lie about them.
SlashAdmins, a new idea: Keep track of the rumors. The more the rumors turn out true when in opposite of the corporate gatekeepers of information, then the more negative karma they get. IOW, if they lie, then call them on it.
This way, we don't just CALL them on the carpet, we DRAG them and give them rug burn over it. Make'em be "good corporate citizens...".
Open Source, too? Imagine the laptop manufacturers/assemblers, too. They could save on the need to install the obligatory hard drive.
..." ala the blank CD/DVD pricing/padding to combat music & movie "piracy"...
Now, if they could get virtual OS testing done on their hardware, they could reduce the size of or eliminate fans.
Then, if the LT mfrs don't need to ship a hard drive, the weight goes down, too. Then, the form factor can change a bit. That space can be filled with more peripherals, maybe a peripherals dock or insert, where *nuxs can be all-system on the 32 GB disk/stick and data on another removable block; *doze an be drive C:\ on the 32 GB disk/stick, and if there are complaints about vista gobbling up disk space, then that can be a punishment for ms and their bs disk-gobbling campaign. Drive D:\ can be, as in the case of the *nuxs, the data space.
Having the OS and the data forced to be separate due to physical size/memory/storage constraints of the media could be a GOOD thing. Devices can be made smaller, lighter, and less power-hungry. Even if the LCD IS taking some 25-35% of the battery power, having an OS with few writes to its own area, and having users become used to occasionally copying their data to offline storage might be an interesting change in the industry. Now, if the DVD spinning could be dispensed with by having an nutating or wide-scan optical reader... (burning could still need a motor, I suppose...)
Now, to keep ms from creating another anti-trust issue, this time over the access to and pricing of the blank disks... I could just see it now... (sycophantic, shrill ms lawyers and marketing) "We must deter piracy and illegal license us of disks product activation codes.
... in INFAMY...
"The proposed rule [PDF], which does contain some substantive protections for the processing of electronic returns, was published in the Federal Register on December 8, 2005."
image word: "magnetic"
Wow, this should be modded up. Several of the replies to me were worthy of mods up.
Thanks for the criticism... constructive or otherwise. I'll be able to use some of the things here.
To the other poster: Canada is nice. I've been there. Made some friends their years ago. Back in 2002 when I was trying to start a business plan for an Internet Cafe/diner, I accidentally ran into business codes and health care and compliance documents on the net and found some of it extremely interesting in that it gave me a different perspective on US-based taxing, health care and such. I ended up with better angles on my plan and something in me made me write the plan to pay myself $12 or so per hour and up to 3 or 4 employees $9 per hour. The entire spread sheet (a workbook with several sheets) was so detailed the SBA/SBDC/SCORE counselor said, "You didn't write a BUSINESS PLAN; you wrote a COURSE, a THESIS" and told me to pare it down. But, he and several bankers liked it. Two bankers lied that they didn't have it, but since I had bound it in a special covering, I caught one in his like and made him give it back, since he wasn't interested in LENDING to me. (I had already had a 2nd mort on my home, and no banks wanted to be 3rd fiddle...)
Sometimes I feel I could probably license or sale the plan to some biz colleges as a model for students. But, I figure others out there probably have similar things going on.
DS
Damn. Wow. I'll admit I used some terse language. But, there is NOTHING flamebait about recounting my PERSONAL experience. It's amazing how our experiences are colored by the filters through which we see things, and someone decides I'm flamebaiting. Why the hell would a flamebaiter spend an hour crafting and spell-checking and grammar-checking a tome such as mine? Aren't most flamebaiters firing off one-liners and obvious stuff. Who reading what I wrote could say it is an utter non-truth. You can't even prove it's true.
But, I am sure the others who took the time to read this gave me the beneft of the doube, and they time counts more than the modder who ascribed 20% flamebait to me. I am willing to bet that 40% of the US population born here AND immigrated here has or WILL have experienced or heard from some what who has experienced what I did -- once they try to start or run a business as a law-abiding (read, gullible) person. Call THEM a flamebaiter at the peak of their rage and they'll probably set upon you with a word or two. But, for me, its mostly in the past...
sheesh.....
Damn, I thought there was a steady bang! How'd "Steady State" get there?
Steady Bang, Solid State theory, anyone?
Well, at least Nature had the sense of humor to give several meanings to "bang" that don't have to deal with guns or cannons or emerge from the hot end of a barrel...
must not have taken hold early enough. I imagine terrorformers of other planets will use stuff stronger than Capsaicin, though...
ET would be phoning its ASS OFF trying to get back home from Earth if taken to some types of dinners here.
(I wonder what is the ET equivalent for Digel, Pepto, Tums... (A human, maybe?))
zap your battery before you recharge it? Just run DRM-managed stuff for 1.5 hours via a script...
Yeh, let them reproduce in Titanic proportions over there, hehehe
If you run a business and do it as SP, and something goes wrong, some one can sue your ASS off and wipe you out.
... just cut back on the goddamned paperwork.
If you at least incorporate, and and have the misfortune of being sued, then, so long as you have no improper operations or gross/egregious negligence, then you stand a vastly greater chance of keeping your personal assets OUT of the hands of legit or frivolous lawsuits (well, as long as your assets are not enticing your attorney to ask for a stake in them...)
Also, I incorporated to have a bit more "legitimacy" in the eyes of potential book sellers and local stored. I managed to sell three copies to one store. Plus, IF -- by some wild stroke of luck -- the business grew faster than I expected, then at least the accounts and activities would be isolated from me personally (with the exception that my original material would never leave my ownership as long as I'm alive and have anything to say or do about it) and it might then be possible to do business with bigger or other businesses expressing interest and respect for my stance on IP.
Not incorporating leaves you without a legit corporate shield. It's more of a headache, but I don't really want to commingle my personal income and assets with the business itself. An, in Oregon, other than paying $200 for a power of attorney to take your mail in the event you get sued or the state has to subpoena you or somesuch thing needs you OTHER than your home address, then Oregon is probably a better deal for incorporated home-based businesses (that don't have my personal issues) than is California. Unless you don't like rain and poor people. But, Portland itself is pricey as hell for retail space, and they have some interesting employee taxes there for companies setting up shop. I think they also drove away some big-name paper and manufacturing businesses to the other side of the bay/river.
Even a kid (SOME, not ALL) selling lemonade probably should incorporate if they're making enough money (to cover the annual tax, or at least quite the first year and then incorporate a DIFFERENT line of business, since California keeps an eye on people who [cough cough] "go in and out of business to avoid [cough cough] "their tax obligation") and want to someday incorporate a BIGGER business. Taxes and compliance can be a pain in the ass, and coordinating all the forms, submitting to questionnaires on time, filing reports and so forth bog down so many entrepreneurs and bigger business that it out to be criminal to demand too much information, unless the state (or State) creates a direct portal that allows those interested businesses to (do a Borg/neural) linkup.
But, some will say NEVER, EVER let the government get into your business affairs, or they'll find new ways to regulate or tax not just YOUR business, but every other startup and existing business. That may be true, but if they're going to tax our asses off, I'd like to have less damned paperwork associated with it. Snoop my employee base, look at the activities, snoop the cashflow, ping my suppliers, [cough cough run (secret)] credit checks, whatever,
WHEW!
My ordeal was in 2002 in Kalifornia.
I can deal with a few skirmishes here and there. What I DON'T like is the (local) government inviting the public into my HOME when I am not even running or trying to run an open-shop/open-to-public business. It's not THEIR place to publish non-commercial entities' private areas if a city planner can visit and verify the premises is run according to the filings. Would they do this to an EMBASSY or consulate? (Oh, no that's "foreign property" (anyone remember bugged embassies?); but, all else needs a floor plan so the cops of auditors know what to look for...)
I did move. I, but not from SF. It was in central Kalifornia that this happened. I moved to the Portland, OR area. It was amazingly simple to get incorporated. Just go to the DOR (Department of Revenue). I think it was all of about $30 to file.
Even better, compared to KA, you DON'T have to pay $800 a year "for the privilege of doing business in sunny, temperate, big, surfin' California." I don't give a RAT that CA tries to appease new busineses by saying new corporations are exempt their first year from paying the $800 franchise/incorporation fee. It's HIGHWAY robbery for small businesses and chump change for big businesses that actually MAKE money. If at the end of the State and IRS filing year and after examination of the "true" submission of my business and personal income statements my business didn't bring in a damned penny (my short-lived OR-based company sold only 3 copies ($60 worth) of copies of my "art", but in CA this would cost me like hell if I tried to do it here and persist here) then my/a business shouldn't have to pay $800 a year. CA'sr excuse was "Well, your business enjoys certain benefits from being incorporated in California. One of them is that you get listed with the Chambers of Commerce in every city in the state. " WWWOOOPTY fuckin' do. HELLO! McFly, this is 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. I can do THAT myself via the Internetsss.. I mean INterneT. If I screw with the public and my customers, I AND my company'll end up in the BBB'S DATABASSE. Wasting companies' money and time. To run opulent programs. SOME government programs (when not abuse or when minimally abused) are extremely beneficial to the public, but extracting $800 a year (minimum, it's only the MINIMUM) when it is clear that that business is doing terribly but still needs time to try to "make it" is NOT business friendly.
Anyway, in Salem, OR I submitted articles of incorporation (basically 8 pages of self-written legalese to serve as a poison pill to deter piratical types of investors or competitors from submitting spurious bullshit contracts to try to buy out through coercive and/or adversarial terms what I was doing), and drove back to the Portland area. I spent about a week poring through more city-level political/technical mumbo jumbo for about 4 or 5 surrounding , and was glad I didn't live in specifically in Portland city proper.
However, at the city level, I again experienced something similar to that central Kalifornia city. This time, I was a bit more prepared. I can't remember EVERYthing that transpired, but the main things were that the local-level functionary told me that EVERYthing in the spare room in which I would conduct business in my apartment was considered "business property or assets". She said anything that was in reach-- if I used it out touched or breathed it in the function of my business, it was business property and that at the end of the year the county assessor would tally up the value and then determine whether or not to assess a tax. I was dumbstruck. I wanted to SCREAM. However, she continued, the assessment wouldn't kick in unless I had some $11,000 in assessable stuff. Even so, the tax was very low, something like 1% or maybe even 1/2 of 1%. The small tax wasn't the real problem. Then, I told her my business would have virtually NO assets: only ONE computer I would "give" it, some labelmaking and printing equipment, and maybe a calculator and a chair. The computer desk was 4 piec
... because the area you live in is zoned as residential. Then, you try to explain you're ONLY doing business via the web and on your computer. There's no noise, light, vibration, fumes, em-emissions... no customers coming to the house, and even if there IS an OCCASIONAL business meeting, the neighbors won't know the visitors from regular visitors.
Then, the clerk tells you need to get a neighborhood review, you need to disclose in drawing, almost architecturally, you layout of your business area in relation to the home area, you need to list and describe ALL your equipment used for the business, and so forth. ALL neighbors within 250 or 300 feet of your house are entitled to shoot down your getting a permit. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO is oppose you. Slow you down. Discourage you. Waste your time and money. Force you out of the neighborhood or make you return to corporate America (whether or not they have an agenda to do so) outside of YOUR terms... You can appeal, fight, and win, but...
It will take weeks. You have a zillion and one things to do: deal with the IRS, BOE, FTB, county registrar, find a newspaper to advertise in for 4 or 6 weeks, decide if you're REALLY ready to commit in spite of all the legal and procedural and code crap thrown at you.
Because you mention you're ONLY doing business via the internet and from home, you're assumed to be a perv, or a thief, or an ID grabber. You then are told you have to visit with the local police department: be photographed, thumb printed, and registered. And you're trying to run a SOFTWARE and art company and not doing anything related to anatomy or adult entertainment. Nevermind, that city doesn't want to become a haven for ID thieves and high tech criminals. It's not personal... so they say
You try to explain your neighborhood has more noise from the cars zooming up an down the street, that there is a 45-foot moving van owned by a homeowner who brings it home EVERYday... you try to convey your concerns that the pseudo ganger-banger kid next door might decide to burgle your home and fence your shit...
The city and county officials tell you to go to a city council meeting to express your concerns. They then tell you you must be a city resident, and must prove it by giving your name, address, and such before and to the committee/council and those present. It will be televised.
Talk about running a MODERN entrepreneur out of town (a town win piss-ant, archaic codes that do more harm to small, quiet, budding businesses).
Yes, that happened to me. IN CALIFORNIA. Fortunately, the timing of that bullshit coincided with my selling my home before any foreclosure happend. Talk about having your entrepreneurial spirit smashed by close-minded, myopic city planners looking out for money more than sensibility.
talk about "bustin' a cap in your ass"...
ASS-IMMoLAted...
(You'll need on big-assed dermal regenerator and 6 months of Holosuite privileges to pass the time..)
(HEHEHEH "SMEARED" was the anti-script confirm word!!!!)
"I'll just say that you don't get a hangover from grape juice."
How much to drink to have your ASS hung over the toilet?
Oh, wait, I guess that would be prune juice... (Um, oh wait, if you're in SOME certain state, "prunes" is/was out of favor and "dried plums" was campaigned for very hard...)
Maybe rub on the habaneros and then salve on the grape juice with some talcum powder.... preceded by an ice cube...