I thought the packages were set up to cover the high cost of certain channels, e.g., ESPN.
That may or may not be correct but I distinctly remember reading a comment last year on this subject. Essentially, it's not that the cable providers (Comcast, Time Warner, etc) don't want to offer ala carte (despite their protestations that they can't technically do it) but rather it is the Viacoms and other programmers who won't let it happen.
If you, as Comcast, want to provide your butt fucks (er, subscribers) with ABC, you have to also carry ESPN, Disney and all other ABC related channels because that is what the programmers are offering. It's an all-or-nothing deal.
I distinctly remember last year there was a blow-up between Charter and the NFL network. Rather than rehash what my memory thinks happened, here is a discussion board which outlines what happened and the money that was involved.
Viacom et al do the same thing with all the packages that cable providers have. So yes, your original comment is correct but there is more to it.
(Oh and do you know how I can stop the sill rot without having to replace it? The house is 130+ years old, etc...):P
The closest advice I can give you involves a partial replacement but not with wood. This Old House had the exact same situation on one of their houses. The solution was to use a dremel tool to carve away the part of the sill that was rotten and then use a two-part replacement compound to fill in the cracks.
The compound had two parts which were mixed and looked like a neutral color of Slime (you remember Slime, don't you?). They used a putty knife to apply the compound to the sill and let it cure. Once cured, it can be sanded just like wood and made to look like the current sill. Put on a primer and paint and no one will ever know.
No, don't ask me what the name of the compound was but I'm sure someone at Home Depot or Lowe's can point you in the right direction.
Many people are just so stubborn, so set in their ways, that they are blind to innovation and practical change.
Yes, there are many, many stubborn people out there. Like the ones who still drive ten year old cars rather than the newest, shinier ones with all the bells and whistles they will never use like GPS, an iPod plug, tv screens and so on. Or maybe the ones who still use a vcr to record their tv shows because they don't have to leave it on whatever channel they want to record without having to pay extra for a service to pull down their shows.
These are horrible people who are devastating the American economy because they refuse to go along with the marketing mindset that if it's new, it must be better, and so you must go and spend, spend, spend.
The older generations, 40+ have no concept of technology and most of them don't want to.
Hey dipwad, I just turned 41 and I can tell you, I have more of a grasp of technology than the vast majority of 20 somethings wandering around my building acting as consultants for an ERP project. The fact that I choose not to have a cell phone, iPod, Blackberry and other electronic gizmos does not mean I have no concept of technology. It means I don't care about that stuff. Having any of those items will not enrich my life in any way, except maybe the iPod.
For the record, while there are people older than I who do not care about computers, I can tell you I have encountered quite a few, including my mother, who want to learn. In fact, the reason my mother uses a computer, other than keeping in touch with people, is, in her words, to keep her skills sharp. She retired ten years ago and still wants to learn. How about that?
If it requires any sort of effort to learn, people try to pretend its not there and stick with what they have until it is no longer a viable option.
You mean like driving a manual transmission, right? Because it's so difficult to learn how to push in a pedal and move a lever.
This saddens me greatly.
What saddens me is people like you on their high horse who think that everyone must always be on the cutting edge. That the latest and greatest is the only way to go. If you don't own what the marketing droids tell you to own, you're not worth the time or effort.
I work with people like you and let me tell, in the time it takes them to find the piece of information they want, or perform whatever task they want to accomplish, I generally have time to go get a drink or take a shit before they're finished, it takes them that long. These are generally the same people who constantly complain they have no time for a life, relationship or anything else because their Blackberry is constantly buzzing or they have to answer an IM.
If that's the kind of life you want to lead, be my guest. Most people don't give a shit about gadgets and do-dads but instead, want something to work well and last a long time.
It's the idiots driving 20 or 30 mph over the limit and weaving through traffic that most of them are watching for,
Funny you should mention those numbers. Virginia finally decided to do something about those idiots.
Needless to say, I can hear the folks on here whining about how the money is just another tax. Which in a sense it is since the fine is designed to add money to pay for road maintenance. But that is beside the point.
There will always be those who feel the rules shouldn't apply to them or that the penalty for endangering someone elses life is too high. Whine, whine, whine. Until it happens to you.
Since I don't (yet) use any flavor of Linux, can someone enlighten me on this question: Would installing a game on Linux be like installing a game on a Windows or Mac in the sense that you have the same base OS to work with? In other words, if you have "Greatest Game Evar!!!", could you install it on Debian, Slackware, Ubuntu, etc in the same manner (putting the disc in the drive and installing) or is there tweaking involved above and beyond setting game parameters (sound, graphics, help, etc)?
If the answer is no, you have to configure each game install on each machine differently, then that may be part of the problem.
A lot of the time I'd rather have a recent grad who's willing to learn than a guy with 10 years experience who thinks he doesn't have to learn anymore.
How about someone who's been around for a while but does want to learn, who likes to learn new things, who wants to get their hands dirty and likes to solve problems? Would you hire someone like that?
From my anecdotal evidence (i.e. recent job interviews) if you show any inclination to work hard, learn new skills, go the extra mile to see that the job is done right, take initiative, you can be guaranteed not to get the job.
In my most recent interview I told the people interviewing me I work on the idea, "When I know, I'll tell you. When I don't, I'll find out."
I even had an interview for a job in which the description and what I am doing were virtually identical. The only real difference was that right now I'm not managing anyone though people who have been here since before I arrived come to me on occasion to answer questions from time to time (I've only been here 2 years).
So, based on my limited, highly subjective evidence, the way to get a job in IT or a promotion is to be mediocore at what you do, don't do any more than is absolutely necessary to get the job done, and make sure you can sell ice to the Eskimos in January. If you can master those three skills, you have it made.
"My wife refuses to buy anything online because of stuff like this" and talking out of their asses.
Yet, I can almost guarantee these are the same people who have no problem with the government wiretapping their phones without a warrant, or having a National ID card or any of the other means of tracking and doing away with ones privacy that this administration (and others) have come up with all the name of supposed "security". After all, if you have nothing to hide then you shouldn't worry about the government tracking you or listening in on your phone calls.
So yes, these people are talking out their asses but that doesn't mean the media attention is a bad thing. If it gets people to be more aware of their online privacy, and privacy in general, then this will have been a good thing.
Besides, the easiest way to combat this is to get Firefox or other non-Microsoft browser, and have them auto-delete your cookies and cache every time you close the browser. Problem solved. The advertisers can bite my shiny metal ass if it screws up their ability track and categorize how many people revisit sites. To them, I'm always a new user.
Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation.
Either way someone isn't going to fair well at the promotion review board.
You're kidding, right? Look at other types of outright incompetence or mismanagement, not only in the military, but in the private sector. Time and again, screwing up is rewarded with golden parachutes and promotions. Here are just a few examples:
Carly Fiorina, former head of Hewlett Packard. Drove the company into the ground with its purchase of Compaq. Mismanagement led to severe decline in HP quality. Left HP with a $21 million severance package and an additional $21 million in HP stock options.
Mike Brown, former had of FEMA during the Katrina hurricane. Publicly told he was doing a good job by George Bush. After his resignation, received a $148K a year salary to serve as a consultant on a review of the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Paul Bremer, former head of the Iraq reconstruction efforst after the invasion and occupation. Unable to account for billions of dollars in aid and money. Rewarded with Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
George Tenet, former head of the CIA. Stated the case for invading and occupying Iraq was 'a slam dunk'. Sat behind then Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations as Powell listed 'facts' which supported the invasion. Rewarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide Financail CEO. Used questionable trading practices to cash in on $138 million in stock options before Countrywide's stock plummeted and the company went into bankruptcy proceedings. Countrywide has since laid off thousands of workers but Mozilo still runs the company.
Charles Prince, former head of Citigroup. Citigroup has written down billions in bad loans and derivatives and laid of thousands of workers. Prince, who retired in November 2007, received a retirement package estimated at $40 billion (yes, with a 'b').
In the current case, I can guess what will happen. The guy at the front gets the shaft but the colonel who found out about it and then issued an order to prevent future occurences, will be promoted to a one-star general for his quick work and decisive action.
Trust me, more and more it seems that incompetence is rewarded while qualified people are overlooked or ignored. No, I'm not bitter. What would make you think that?
If you look at the original poster, Anonymous Coward (not a real AC), they specifically said:
No. Columbia's crew, the one which blew up during launch (or was that Challenger?) was probably alive when it hit the ocean. Whether they were conscious is not public info, but they were alive for a while, based on evidence that some of them tried to put on oxygen bottles, IIRC. They could have used an escape pod.
Therefore, they are referring to Challenger as it was the one that exploded during launch and its pieces fell into the ocean. My links are correct. If the secondary poster meant Columbia, here is info on that disaster:
Either way, in both cases, the astronauts knew something was wrong and they were alive for a time after the initial explosion and breakup of both Challenger and Columbia.
A lot of large companies and institutions appear reluctant to finally bury Internet Explorer 6.
It's not always that they don't want to get rid of IE6 but rather, they can't because of their own web pages which have been hacked to work in IE6 or, as in my case, have applications that use a web interface and won't work with IE7 (or anything else).
I wish the folks who I work for would allow more people to install FF but we're a Microsoft-only place and so installing FF, or any other unapproved software, is verboten. Except in the case of where I work which fortunately is somewhat lenient in this regard. So long as we keep it updated, no problems.
The last place I worked for (and left) has a zero-tolerance policy towards anything not Microsoft. Not too long after I left orders came down that anyone who had FF was to remove it. Immediately. Or else.
On one hand you have Socialists and on the other you have Fascists running for President. If the Socialists wins, it will mean higher taxes on corporations, more government spending and more of a nanny state.
If the Fascists wins, it will mean higher taxes on individuals, more unregulated business monopolies and more of a Big Brother state.
The candidates can say all they want to get elected, but as history has shown, words are cheap.
When I see the candidates, all I can think of is the line from 'Armegeddon' where Bruce Willis' character sees who NASA wants to send up and he comments:
And this is the best that you - that the government, the *U.S. government* could come up with? I mean, you're NASA for crying out loud, you put a man on the moon, you're geniuses! You're the guys that're thinking shit up! I'm sure you got a team of men sitting around somewhere right now just thinking shit up and somebody backing them up! You're telling me you don't have a backup plan, that these eight boy scouts right here, that is the world's hope, that's what you're telling me?
In my case, all I can think is:
This is the best we can do? I mean, we're the United States of America. You're telling me that of all the people in the country eligible to run for President, these shills are the best we can do? That's what you're telling me?
Ahh, now that brings back memories of playing that game, and its successors, for hours on my parents Commodore 64. New room, wait while the 5 1/4" floppy thrashes about looking for the new info then prepare to cast spells, launch arrows and hack away. Grab the treasure, head back to town, oh crap! More monsters. Fight your way through or retreat and recover.
Gah. So many good (and frustrating) times in front of that small screen trying desperately not to get your party killed. If only life were as exciting.
Can you show me where I said that religion should be taught in public schools? Of course not. Because I didn't. That is a straw man.
Of course you didn't say religion should be taught. That's exactly the same bogus argument the folks in Dover, PA tried to use when they wanted to teach Intelligent Design in a science classroom. They never explicitly said they wanted to teach a religious viewpoint, they just said that everything could be explained by some unknown, untestable, supposedly omnipotent being who has existed since before there was a time. It's a neat dodge to try and avoid sounding like they wanted to teach their religious viewpoint, and ONLY their religious viewpoint, when it came to Evolution. So no, it's not a strawman argument. It's letting people know where you're coming from.
I'm not saying that science class should use the Bible as a text book, but at least explain where evolution falls short.
Every time someone says this, the reasons they believe Evolution falls short have been answered. Repeatedly. In detail. The problem is that people like you don't want to hear the reasons why their issues with Evolution's supposed shortcomings are not relevant to the discussion because they've already been answered. Yet, these same people, even after being given a clear, concise reason as to why their issues are not relevant will still insist at the next forum to raise the exact same issues. That is why there is no need to go into the suppposed shortcomings. Only people who don't believe Evolution is real believe it has shortcomings.
There are holes in the theory.
No, there's not. See my above discussion. Along those same lines, and since you probably didn't catch it the first time, that is why there is no need to go into the suppposed shortcomings. Only people who don't believe Evolution is real believe it has shortcomings.
Explain why bombarding a million fruit flies has never produced a better fruit fly
Huh? What kind of better fruit fly do you want? One that devours apples whole? Maybe fruit flies no longer evolve because they are as good as they are going to get. Of maybe because, even with their quick life and death cycle, we still haven't given it enough time to see what they will evolve into.
Besides, we know that producing a better animal (or insect) is possible and have been doing it for thousands of years. It's called selective breeding. Take a look at dogs for how this process works. The same thing with plants. Grape vines, tomatoes, corn, wheat, all have been subjected to selective breeding which produces better crops.
explain how a white moth that did great yesterday gets eaten today because of a forest fire turning all the trees black and the mutated black moth suddenly does better than the white one.
It should be obvious how this works but really, you're trying to use this example as a flaw in Evolution?
THERE ARE MULTIPLE SIDES TO ANY ISSUE. TO SILENCE ONE IS CENSORSHIP, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Fine. Then we will teach that the world is flat, the sun revolves around the Earth, that spirits and noxious fumes are the cause of our illnesses and that the Earth is only 6,000 years old.
What's that? You mean all those things have been disproven using the scientific method but you still don't want them taught in school? But that's censorship!
Evolution needs to be taught with both sides presented so that the students can discuss and make up their own minds. Kids tend to learn better when given the facts and allowed to draw their own conclusions.
This is exactly the kind of wedge the Creationists try to use to get their religious viewpoint into the scientific curriculum and why it was modded down. I'm only going to say this once, very loudly, so you're sure not to miss it.
THERE ARE NOT TWO SIDES TO EVOLUTION. THERE IS NO NEED TO ATTEMPT TO CLAIM THAT SOMEONE'S RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT NEEDS TO BE PLACED AGAINST SOLID, VERIFIABLE SCIENTIFIC FACTS. RELIGION DOES NOT BELONG IN THE SCHOOLS. THAT IS WHAT CHURCH/TEMPLE/MOSQUE/WHATEVER IS FOR.
Are we clear?
Oh, and as to kids being given the facts and allowed to make their own conclusions, then I'm presuming that teaching kids all about the birds and bees and how not to get pregnant through the use of condoms should be placed up against abstinence only curriculum, right?
Drawings are the work of Rubyist-extraordinaire why the lucky stiff and technical reviewers include well known Rubyists David A. Black, Charles Oliver Nutter, and Shyouhei Urabe.
Error parsing sentence. Unable to comprehend.
Is this like the use of the word "your" instead of the correct "you're" as seen in more and more sentences, including a graphic on MSNBC.
Sorry, I'll stick to the old three score and twain. That's 62 in the "new" math.
Just as it no longer matters by what means you get the 0s and 1s that comprise your music, it no longer matters by what means you get the 0s and 1s that comprise your telecommunications
The older telcos are scrambling because owning twisted copper pair lines is no longer enough to ensure a profitable revenue stream - there are several other ways into people's homes now: co-axial, satellite, wireless, powerlines, and fiber.
Yes, it does matter. The examples you provided have varying speeds of 0s and 1s delivery. As a rule, it would be fiber, co-ax, wireless, satellite and powerlines. You say it doesn't matter but considering all the whining on here about how long it takes to steal (er, liberate/borrow/sample/whatever) a piece of software or song or how long ones lag times are for WoW or BF2, it most certainly does matter.
People want the fastest service at the lowest price. Period. While getting a network connection through satellite is feasible, most people don't want to pay what it costs AND still deal with the slow response times.
Which leads to. . .
What consumers are increasingly going to want is a comprehensive telecom service: phone+TV+internet.
No, consumers are not necessarily wanting to go this route but providers like Comcast and Verizon are forcing it on consumers because they, the providers, can make more money that way. If you look at what Comcast offers for their triple play, it costs, minimum, $100/month for all three services. Considering I'm paying $23/month to Verizon for a landline, I would be spending $7/month more just for the phone portion which includes long distance which I don't use (thus the $7 difference).
If I could get just the internet portion from Comcast, that should be $33/month. A very reasonable rate. But Comcast won't offer you just internet. You MUST buy all three.
Verizon isn't any better. Their triple-play is also $100/month but they use fiber rather than co-ax. I have been getting offers from Verizon for just net connection and according to their own web site, they offer in my area:
$43/month for 5/2, $53/month for 15/2 and for $65/month I can get 15/15. These prices do not include the cost of installation ($80), the activation charge ($20) and are based on a yearly contract. If I quit early I am charged $99 and those rates will go up after the term expires (see the fine print for details). To see what the rates will reset to, click the link 'Show More Plans' at the bottom of the list.
Unless someone like Google or AOL (AHHHHH!!!) can provide the same service at a cheaper price, the monopolies like Verzion/Comcast/TW have nothing to fear.
1) Global Warming is untrue. (most of those melted ice caps have reformed, no real data beyond the normal climatic cycle, etc.)
Bullshit. Global warming is happening. The facts (i.e. temperature readings) show it is. The question is whether the warming is normal, man-made or some combination of both. No, the melted ice caps have not reformed. Take a look at Kilimanjaro, Greenland and the fact there may be a Northwest Passage through the polar ice.
2) If drilling were allowed in Alaska and other locations, the price of oil would come down, jobs would be created, there would be more wealth in the economy, we would not be supporting the UAE.
Double bullshit. The same thing was said when oil drilling was first introducted in Alaska. Know what happened to oil prices? Nothing. Know why? Because the bulk of the oil had high sulphur content and so was shipped to Japan where their environmental laws were more lax than ours were at the time. Very little went to the U.S.
Yes, some jobs would be created but in the grand scheme of things, not enough to make up for the staggering losses to manufacturing jobs that have been experienced in the last ten years, let alone since the Carter administration.
As far as wealth, the vast majority of wealth would go to three populations: the oil companies themselves, the heads of those oil companies and the shareholders of the companies. A small amount would go to the Treasury but certainly not enough to change people's lives, especially with all the tax breaks and credits that oil companies still receive despite there being no need for the breaks.
Ok, so we don't support the UAE. How about Saudi Arabia where they wanted to flog a woman because she was with an unrelated man even though she had been gang raped?
3) No matter how much you dislike an entity, frivolous lawsuits are harmful to everyone.
Finally, something we can agree on though with one minor quibble. The only ones not harmed are the attorneys. They get paid either way.
Telling a PHB (or a lot of slashdotters even) there is anything more important than money is like telling a Muslim there is something more important than Allah.
Telling a PHB (or a lot of slashdotters even) there is anything more important than money is like telling an Evangelical Christian there is something more important than God.
Slashdot Mirror
That may or may not be correct but I distinctly remember reading a comment last year on this subject. Essentially, it's not that the cable providers (Comcast, Time Warner, etc) don't want to offer ala carte (despite their protestations that they can't technically do it) but rather it is the Viacoms and other programmers who won't let it happen.
If you, as Comcast, want to provide your butt fucks (er, subscribers) with ABC, you have to also carry ESPN, Disney and all other ABC related channels because that is what the programmers are offering. It's an all-or-nothing deal.
I distinctly remember last year there was a blow-up between Charter and the NFL network. Rather than rehash what my memory thinks happened, here is a discussion board which outlines what happened and the money that was involved.
Viacom et al do the same thing with all the packages that cable providers have. So yes, your original comment is correct but there is more to it.
The closest advice I can give you involves a partial replacement but not with wood. This Old House had the exact same situation on one of their houses. The solution was to use a dremel tool to carve away the part of the sill that was rotten and then use a two-part replacement compound to fill in the cracks.
The compound had two parts which were mixed and looked like a neutral color of Slime (you remember Slime, don't you?). They used a putty knife to apply the compound to the sill and let it cure. Once cured, it can be sanded just like wood and made to look like the current sill. Put on a primer and paint and no one will ever know.
No, don't ask me what the name of the compound was but I'm sure someone at Home Depot or Lowe's can point you in the right direction.
Yes, there are many, many stubborn people out there. Like the ones who still drive ten year old cars rather than the newest, shinier ones with all the bells and whistles they will never use like GPS, an iPod plug, tv screens and so on. Or maybe the ones who still use a vcr to record their tv shows because they don't have to leave it on whatever channel they want to record without having to pay extra for a service to pull down their shows.
These are horrible people who are devastating the American economy because they refuse to go along with the marketing mindset that if it's new, it must be better, and so you must go and spend, spend, spend.
The older generations, 40+ have no concept of technology and most of them don't want to.
Hey dipwad, I just turned 41 and I can tell you, I have more of a grasp of technology than the vast majority of 20 somethings wandering around my building acting as consultants for an ERP project. The fact that I choose not to have a cell phone, iPod, Blackberry and other electronic gizmos does not mean I have no concept of technology. It means I don't care about that stuff. Having any of those items will not enrich my life in any way, except maybe the iPod.
For the record, while there are people older than I who do not care about computers, I can tell you I have encountered quite a few, including my mother, who want to learn. In fact, the reason my mother uses a computer, other than keeping in touch with people, is, in her words, to keep her skills sharp. She retired ten years ago and still wants to learn. How about that?
If it requires any sort of effort to learn, people try to pretend its not there and stick with what they have until it is no longer a viable option.
You mean like driving a manual transmission, right? Because it's so difficult to learn how to push in a pedal and move a lever.
This saddens me greatly.
What saddens me is people like you on their high horse who think that everyone must always be on the cutting edge. That the latest and greatest is the only way to go. If you don't own what the marketing droids tell you to own, you're not worth the time or effort.
I work with people like you and let me tell, in the time it takes them to find the piece of information they want, or perform whatever task they want to accomplish, I generally have time to go get a drink or take a shit before they're finished, it takes them that long. These are generally the same people who constantly complain they have no time for a life, relationship or anything else because their Blackberry is constantly buzzing or they have to answer an IM.
If that's the kind of life you want to lead, be my guest. Most people don't give a shit about gadgets and do-dads but instead, want something to work well and last a long time.
Funny you should mention those numbers. Virginia finally decided to do something about those idiots.
Needless to say, I can hear the folks on here whining about how the money is just another tax. Which in a sense it is since the fine is designed to add money to pay for road maintenance. But that is beside the point.
There will always be those who feel the rules shouldn't apply to them or that the penalty for endangering someone elses life is too high. Whine, whine, whine. Until it happens to you.
Read more
Since I don't (yet) use any flavor of Linux, can someone enlighten me on this question: Would installing a game on Linux be like installing a game on a Windows or Mac in the sense that you have the same base OS to work with? In other words, if you have "Greatest Game Evar!!!", could you install it on Debian, Slackware, Ubuntu, etc in the same manner (putting the disc in the drive and installing) or is there tweaking involved above and beyond setting game parameters (sound, graphics, help, etc)?
If the answer is no, you have to configure each game install on each machine differently, then that may be part of the problem.
How about someone who's been around for a while but does want to learn, who likes to learn new things, who wants to get their hands dirty and likes to solve problems? Would you hire someone like that?
From my anecdotal evidence (i.e. recent job interviews) if you show any inclination to work hard, learn new skills, go the extra mile to see that the job is done right, take initiative, you can be guaranteed not to get the job.
In my most recent interview I told the people interviewing me I work on the idea, "When I know, I'll tell you. When I don't, I'll find out."
I even had an interview for a job in which the description and what I am doing were virtually identical. The only real difference was that right now I'm not managing anyone though people who have been here since before I arrived come to me on occasion to answer questions from time to time (I've only been here 2 years).
So, based on my limited, highly subjective evidence, the way to get a job in IT or a promotion is to be mediocore at what you do, don't do any more than is absolutely necessary to get the job done, and make sure you can sell ice to the Eskimos in January. If you can master those three skills, you have it made.
Yet, I can almost guarantee these are the same people who have no problem with the government wiretapping their phones without a warrant, or having a National ID card or any of the other means of tracking and doing away with ones privacy that this administration (and others) have come up with all the name of supposed "security". After all, if you have nothing to hide then you shouldn't worry about the government tracking you or listening in on your phone calls.
So yes, these people are talking out their asses but that doesn't mean the media attention is a bad thing. If it gets people to be more aware of their online privacy, and privacy in general, then this will have been a good thing.
Besides, the easiest way to combat this is to get Firefox or other non-Microsoft browser, and have them auto-delete your cookies and cache every time you close the browser. Problem solved. The advertisers can bite my shiny metal ass if it screws up their ability track and categorize how many people revisit sites. To them, I'm always a new user.
Besides, as one of the posters to my journal already noted, cats age people like people age wine and cheese.
Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation.
If you and someone else agree to let the other bash your heads with rocks/bricks/whatever, then maybe the benefit is removal from the gene pool.
You're kidding, right? Look at other types of outright incompetence or mismanagement, not only in the military, but in the private sector. Time and again, screwing up is rewarded with golden parachutes and promotions. Here are just a few examples:
Carly Fiorina, former head of Hewlett Packard. Drove the company into the ground with its purchase of Compaq. Mismanagement led to severe decline in HP quality. Left HP with a $21 million severance package and an additional $21 million in HP stock options.
Mike Brown, former had of FEMA during the Katrina hurricane. Publicly told he was doing a good job by George Bush. After his resignation, received a $148K a year salary to serve as a consultant on a review of the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Paul Bremer, former head of the Iraq reconstruction efforst after the invasion and occupation. Unable to account for billions of dollars in aid and money. Rewarded with Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
George Tenet, former head of the CIA. Stated the case for invading and occupying Iraq was 'a slam dunk'. Sat behind then Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations as Powell listed 'facts' which supported the invasion. Rewarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide Financail CEO. Used questionable trading practices to cash in on $138 million in stock options before Countrywide's stock plummeted and the company went into bankruptcy proceedings. Countrywide has since laid off thousands of workers but Mozilo still runs the company.
Charles Prince, former head of Citigroup. Citigroup has written down billions in bad loans and derivatives and laid of thousands of workers. Prince, who retired in November 2007, received a retirement package estimated at $40 billion (yes, with a 'b').
In the current case, I can guess what will happen. The guy at the front gets the shaft but the colonel who found out about it and then issued an order to prevent future occurences, will be promoted to a one-star general for his quick work and decisive action.
Trust me, more and more it seems that incompetence is rewarded while qualified people are overlooked or ignored. No, I'm not bitter. What would make you think that?
I wasn't. I was thinking of Futurama. Tubes to move people.
No. Columbia's crew, the one which blew up during launch (or was that Challenger?) was probably alive when it hit the ocean. Whether they were conscious is not public info, but they were alive for a while, based on evidence that some of them tried to put on oxygen bottles, IIRC. They could have used an escape pod.
Therefore, they are referring to Challenger as it was the one that exploded during launch and its pieces fell into the ocean. My links are correct. If the secondary poster meant Columbia, here is info on that disaster:
Spaceflight Now
MSNBC
New York Times
Either way, in both cases, the astronauts knew something was wrong and they were alive for a time after the initial explosion and breakup of both Challenger and Columbia.
Urban Legends comments
Straight Dope comments
MSNBC comments.
All three sources say the same thing: 3 of the 4 air packs were activated which can only be done manually.
It's not always that they don't want to get rid of IE6 but rather, they can't because of their own web pages which have been hacked to work in IE6 or, as in my case, have applications that use a web interface and won't work with IE7 (or anything else).
I wish the folks who I work for would allow more people to install FF but we're a Microsoft-only place and so installing FF, or any other unapproved software, is verboten. Except in the case of where I work which fortunately is somewhat lenient in this regard. So long as we keep it updated, no problems.
The last place I worked for (and left) has a zero-tolerance policy towards anything not Microsoft. Not too long after I left orders came down that anyone who had FF was to remove it. Immediately. Or else.
Easy, everyone that uses "your" instead of "you're" are the dumb ones. Find them, and things should calm down.
If the Fascists wins, it will mean higher taxes on individuals, more unregulated business monopolies and more of a Big Brother state.
The candidates can say all they want to get elected, but as history has shown, words are cheap.
When I see the candidates, all I can think of is the line from 'Armegeddon' where Bruce Willis' character sees who NASA wants to send up and he comments:
In my case, all I can think is:
This is the best we can do? I mean, we're the United States of America. You're telling me that of all the people in the country eligible to run for President, these shills are the best we can do? That's what you're telling me?
Ahh, now that brings back memories of playing that game, and its successors, for hours on my parents Commodore 64. New room, wait while the 5 1/4" floppy thrashes about looking for the new info then prepare to cast spells, launch arrows and hack away. Grab the treasure, head back to town, oh crap! More monsters. Fight your way through or retreat and recover.
Gah. So many good (and frustrating) times in front of that small screen trying desperately not to get your party killed. If only life were as exciting.
Of course you didn't say religion should be taught. That's exactly the same bogus argument the folks in Dover, PA tried to use when they wanted to teach Intelligent Design in a science classroom. They never explicitly said they wanted to teach a religious viewpoint, they just said that everything could be explained by some unknown, untestable, supposedly omnipotent being who has existed since before there was a time. It's a neat dodge to try and avoid sounding like they wanted to teach their religious viewpoint, and ONLY their religious viewpoint, when it came to Evolution. So no, it's not a strawman argument. It's letting people know where you're coming from.
I'm not saying that science class should use the Bible as a text book, but at least explain where evolution falls short.
Every time someone says this, the reasons they believe Evolution falls short have been answered. Repeatedly. In detail. The problem is that people like you don't want to hear the reasons why their issues with Evolution's supposed shortcomings are not relevant to the discussion because they've already been answered. Yet, these same people, even after being given a clear, concise reason as to why their issues are not relevant will still insist at the next forum to raise the exact same issues. That is why there is no need to go into the suppposed shortcomings. Only people who don't believe Evolution is real believe it has shortcomings.
There are holes in the theory. No, there's not. See my above discussion. Along those same lines, and since you probably didn't catch it the first time, that is why there is no need to go into the suppposed shortcomings. Only people who don't believe Evolution is real believe it has shortcomings.
Explain why bombarding a million fruit flies has never produced a better fruit fly
Huh? What kind of better fruit fly do you want? One that devours apples whole? Maybe fruit flies no longer evolve because they are as good as they are going to get. Of maybe because, even with their quick life and death cycle, we still haven't given it enough time to see what they will evolve into.
Besides, we know that producing a better animal (or insect) is possible and have been doing it for thousands of years. It's called selective breeding. Take a look at dogs for how this process works. The same thing with plants. Grape vines, tomatoes, corn, wheat, all have been subjected to selective breeding which produces better crops.
explain how a white moth that did great yesterday gets eaten today because of a forest fire turning all the trees black and the mutated black moth suddenly does better than the white one.
It should be obvious how this works but really, you're trying to use this example as a flaw in Evolution?
THERE ARE MULTIPLE SIDES TO ANY ISSUE. TO SILENCE ONE IS CENSORSHIP, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Fine. Then we will teach that the world is flat, the sun revolves around the Earth, that spirits and noxious fumes are the cause of our illnesses and that the Earth is only 6,000 years old.
What's that? You mean all those things have been disproven using the scientific method but you still don't want them taught in school? But that's censorship!
This is exactly the kind of wedge the Creationists try to use to get their religious viewpoint into the scientific curriculum and why it was modded down. I'm only going to say this once, very loudly, so you're sure not to miss it.
THERE ARE NOT TWO SIDES TO EVOLUTION. THERE IS NO NEED TO ATTEMPT TO CLAIM THAT SOMEONE'S RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT NEEDS TO BE PLACED AGAINST SOLID, VERIFIABLE SCIENTIFIC FACTS. RELIGION DOES NOT BELONG IN THE SCHOOLS. THAT IS WHAT CHURCH/TEMPLE/MOSQUE/WHATEVER IS FOR.
Are we clear?
Oh, and as to kids being given the facts and allowed to make their own conclusions, then I'm presuming that teaching kids all about the birds and bees and how not to get pregnant through the use of condoms should be placed up against abstinence only curriculum, right?
Error parsing sentence. Unable to comprehend.
Is this like the use of the word "your" instead of the correct "you're" as seen in more and more sentences, including a graphic on MSNBC.
Sorry, I'll stick to the old three score and twain. That's 62 in the "new" math.
Diamonds... she'll pretty much have to.
For reference
I can't believe I have to link to YouBube to find the example.
The older telcos are scrambling because owning twisted copper pair lines is no longer enough to ensure a profitable revenue stream - there are several other ways into people's homes now: co-axial, satellite, wireless, powerlines, and fiber.
Yes, it does matter. The examples you provided have varying speeds of 0s and 1s delivery. As a rule, it would be fiber, co-ax, wireless, satellite and powerlines. You say it doesn't matter but considering all the whining on here about how long it takes to steal (er, liberate/borrow/sample/whatever) a piece of software or song or how long ones lag times are for WoW or BF2, it most certainly does matter.
People want the fastest service at the lowest price. Period. While getting a network connection through satellite is feasible, most people don't want to pay what it costs AND still deal with the slow response times.
Which leads to. . .
What consumers are increasingly going to want is a comprehensive telecom service: phone+TV+internet.
No, consumers are not necessarily wanting to go this route but providers like Comcast and Verizon are forcing it on consumers because they, the providers, can make more money that way. If you look at what Comcast offers for their triple play, it costs, minimum, $100/month for all three services. Considering I'm paying $23/month to Verizon for a landline, I would be spending $7/month more just for the phone portion which includes long distance which I don't use (thus the $7 difference).
If I could get just the internet portion from Comcast, that should be $33/month. A very reasonable rate. But Comcast won't offer you just internet. You MUST buy all three.
Verizon isn't any better. Their triple-play is also $100/month but they use fiber rather than co-ax. I have been getting offers from Verizon for just net connection and according to their own web site, they offer in my area:
$43/month for 5/2, $53/month for 15/2 and for $65/month I can get 15/15. These prices do not include the cost of installation ($80), the activation charge ($20) and are based on a yearly contract. If I quit early I am charged $99 and those rates will go up after the term expires (see the fine print for details). To see what the rates will reset to, click the link 'Show More Plans' at the bottom of the list.
Unless someone like Google or AOL (AHHHHH!!!) can provide the same service at a cheaper price, the monopolies like Verzion/Comcast/TW have nothing to fear.
Bullshit. Global warming is happening. The facts (i.e. temperature readings) show it is. The question is whether the warming is normal, man-made or some combination of both. No, the melted ice caps have not reformed. Take a look at Kilimanjaro, Greenland and the fact there may be a Northwest Passage through the polar ice.
2) If drilling were allowed in Alaska and other locations, the price of oil would come down, jobs would be created, there would be more wealth in the economy, we would not be supporting the UAE.
Double bullshit. The same thing was said when oil drilling was first introducted in Alaska. Know what happened to oil prices? Nothing. Know why? Because the bulk of the oil had high sulphur content and so was shipped to Japan where their environmental laws were more lax than ours were at the time. Very little went to the U.S.
Yes, some jobs would be created but in the grand scheme of things, not enough to make up for the staggering losses to manufacturing jobs that have been experienced in the last ten years, let alone since the Carter administration.
As far as wealth, the vast majority of wealth would go to three populations: the oil companies themselves, the heads of those oil companies and the shareholders of the companies. A small amount would go to the Treasury but certainly not enough to change people's lives, especially with all the tax breaks and credits that oil companies still receive despite there being no need for the breaks.
Ok, so we don't support the UAE. How about Saudi Arabia where they wanted to flog a woman because she was with an unrelated man even though she had been gang raped?
3) No matter how much you dislike an entity, frivolous lawsuits are harmful to everyone.
Finally, something we can agree on though with one minor quibble. The only ones not harmed are the attorneys. They get paid either way.
Telling a PHB (or a lot of slashdotters even) there is anything more important than money is like telling an Evangelical Christian there is something more important than God.
There, fixed it for you.