Using this logic, I would wager that the nomadic roving death squads are no more likely than the aliens in Asimov's Childhood's End that show up and help us technologically as well as ethically (we've still got quite a ways to go in some areas more than others).
Not to pick at nits or anything, but that's Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End"...
Amen Brother... I've heard another tale from a good friend who had a similar situation with an early 2000's BMW 3 series... Of course the local mechanic just might NOT want to spend the money buying the tools needed, and lie to us customers instead....
Well, that's the way it works in Dodge trucks at any rate. I bought a unit out of a wrecking yard for my 2000 Ram 1500, installed it, and it did NOT work right off the bat. Had to be programmed by a freakin' DEALER ($175), as Chrysler won't sell the tool to anyone else...
Svetlana in Russia is still manufacturing many tubes that have high power applications, and there is still a large (but dwindling, kind of like the world's oil reserves) stock of most anything made since the 1940's scattered around the world. Of course, if worse came to worse, it's always possible to make your own, one by one. Search YouTube for vacuum tube sometime. There's a Frenchman who's posted several videos detailing the whole process...
Tivo is the top of the heap as far as the DVR's is concerned. They seem to *just work*... While I've never owned one myself, I've watched their hardware at a number of friends' homes. And I DO rent one of the Scientific Atlanta HD DVR boxes (Charter cable here), and the thing is a total piece of shit. Crashes continually, forgets to record something at least once a week, etc. If Tivo can get at least a thin dime by pursuing legal action against all these other companies that have done a piss poor copy of their original vision (IOW what they've patented), more freakin' power to 'em... I'll be buying one eventually....
Trunking radios are very useful a few days AFTER a disaster has occurred, and some semblence of communications discipline has been restored. Immediately after a disaster such as Katrina has happened, there is pretty much COMPLETE radio anarchy. All decent antennas for fixed station, high power, wide coverage systems have been scrubbed off their buildings. Pretty much only the mobile (car) systems are working. No centralization is possible until the cavalary shows up. DHS would do better by taking a hard look at right now, commercially available Ham Radio gear, and FORCING all the agencies to have at least one of these types of radios available. Asking for bids from contractors like Thale for brand new equipment is just going to add to the confusion, not reduce it. My two cents worth...
Ummm, well, speaking from 30 years of experience in delivering the mail, I've never heard of an address that had NO delivery service. I live (and deliver mail) in a small town here in Texas. The station here has 13 city routes, and 27 rural routes. At least four of the rural routes here drive in excess of 170 miles a day. Admittedly, many of these deliveries are to boxes ganged up on a paved Farm Road (FM), and the people have to walk or drive down to the boxes. So it's not perfect, but I absolutely assure you we lose money servicing these folks. Private industry will NOT lose money, they will simply raise the rates enough to cover their costs, or not deliver there at all. This type of situation is the main reason for the postal monopoly......
And ALL of you miss the main point for that congressionally-mandated monopoly. It's NOT to protect the USPS, and discourage competition. It's only purpose is to protect the postage rates, and reliability of delivery of Joe-The-Goat-Farmer that lives out 42 miles from the nearest Post Office, which might be one of THREE buildings in the nearest town. Don't laugh, there's multiple places like this in Texas, Idaho, Wyoming, etc. And you can bet-your-ass they vote in EVERY election. If there wasn't a government monoply in place, you think you could get a a one ounce letter delivered to Auntie Jo by UPS or FedEx in a location like this for less than $20? Or do you think Uncle Mike could pay his bills via outgoing mail for a couple of dollars a month? Nooo, it'd probably be cheaper to spend $40 in gas to drive round-trip and hand deliver them...
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Using this logic, I would wager that the nomadic roving death squads are no more likely than the aliens in Asimov's Childhood's End that show up and help us technologically as well as ethically (we've still got quite a ways to go in some areas more than others).
Not to pick at nits or anything, but that's Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End"...
The $60 is a SURCHARGE, my friend...
Amen Brother... I've heard another tale from a good friend who had a similar situation with an early 2000's BMW 3 series... Of course the local mechanic just might NOT want to spend the money buying the tools needed, and lie to us customers instead....
Well, that's the way it works in Dodge trucks at any rate. I bought a unit out of a wrecking yard for my 2000 Ram 1500, installed it, and it did NOT work right off the bat. Had to be programmed by a freakin' DEALER ($175), as Chrysler won't sell the tool to anyone else...
Try replacing a car's CPU unit. It has to be programmed with your vehicle's VIN at the very least.....
Svetlana in Russia is still manufacturing many tubes that have high power applications, and there is still a large (but dwindling, kind of like the world's oil reserves) stock of most anything made since the 1940's scattered around the world. Of course, if worse came to worse, it's always possible to make your own, one by one. Search YouTube for vacuum tube sometime. There's a Frenchman who's posted several videos detailing the whole process...
Amen, Brother...
Tivo is the top of the heap as far as the DVR's is concerned. They seem to *just work*... While I've never owned one myself, I've watched their hardware at a number of friends' homes. And I DO rent one of the Scientific Atlanta HD DVR boxes (Charter cable here), and the thing is a total piece of shit. Crashes continually, forgets to record something at least once a week, etc. If Tivo can get at least a thin dime by pursuing legal action against all these other companies that have done a piss poor copy of their original vision (IOW what they've patented), more freakin' power to 'em... I'll be buying one eventually....
Oh, wish I had Mod points today...:-) You hit the nail so hard square on the head it's been sunk clean out of sight...
Trunking radios are very useful a few days AFTER a disaster has occurred, and some semblence of communications discipline has been restored. Immediately after a disaster such as Katrina has happened, there is pretty much COMPLETE radio anarchy. All decent antennas for fixed station, high power, wide coverage systems have been scrubbed off their buildings. Pretty much only the mobile (car) systems are working. No centralization is possible until the cavalary shows up. DHS would do better by taking a hard look at right now, commercially available Ham Radio gear, and FORCING all the agencies to have at least one of these types of radios available. Asking for bids from contractors like Thale for brand new equipment is just going to add to the confusion, not reduce it. My two cents worth...
Wish I had Moderator points tonight. Definitely would've gotten another "Funny" from me...
Both the parent and this reply were insightful, and spot-on as far as I'm concerned. Wish I was a Moderator today...
Ummm, well, speaking from 30 years of experience in delivering the mail, I've never heard of an address that had NO delivery service. I live (and deliver mail) in a small town here in Texas. The station here has 13 city routes, and 27 rural routes. At least four of the rural routes here drive in excess of 170 miles a day. Admittedly, many of these deliveries are to boxes ganged up on a paved Farm Road (FM), and the people have to walk or drive down to the boxes. So it's not perfect, but I absolutely assure you we lose money servicing these folks. Private industry will NOT lose money, they will simply raise the rates enough to cover their costs, or not deliver there at all. This type of situation is the main reason for the postal monopoly......
And ALL of you miss the main point for that congressionally-mandated monopoly. It's NOT to protect the USPS, and discourage competition. It's only purpose is to protect the postage rates, and reliability of delivery of Joe-The-Goat-Farmer that lives out 42 miles from the nearest Post Office, which might be one of THREE buildings in the nearest town. Don't laugh, there's multiple places like this in Texas, Idaho, Wyoming, etc. And you can bet-your-ass they vote in EVERY election. If there wasn't a government monoply in place, you think you could get a a one ounce letter delivered to Auntie Jo by UPS or FedEx in a location like this for less than $20? Or do you think Uncle Mike could pay his bills via outgoing mail for a couple of dollars a month? Nooo, it'd probably be cheaper to spend $40 in gas to drive round-trip and hand deliver them...