My Power Mac G4/400 runs OS 10.3 spiffily with only 640MB of PC100 RAM. I still use it as a file/print/test web server, as well as Civ III and email/web/IM for both my wife and me. I fully expect it to perform well in this capacity for the next few years. Besides, if you *need* more power, switch up to the Powerbook or an iMac. Or that sa-weet new G5 they just put out.
All governements by Apple Machines and Mac OS X at huge discounts: already a huge step forward in security of our personal information and files.
I'm about as big a fanboy as there is, but if the government switched over to any one OS, there would be people writing exploits for that OS, even if it were Linux or OS X.
The best bet is to pick the right OS for the job, and give people autonomy to find the right solution. Diversifying the systems means that any one exploit won't bring the whole government down.
That being said, there's no reason 80% of the government couldn't switch to Linux or OS X. My dad is a Federal Official and all he uses his PC for is email, web, and some light word processing, mostly reading documents.
What is the likelyhood of National Guardsman or soldiers actually firing on another American citizen or standing up for a facist government?
What are the chances people would herd dissidents and unwanted elements of society into camps where they would be worked to death or gassed, then thrown into ovens? What are the chances corporations who stand to benefit from a military build-up would look the other way or help the government to commit immoral acts? What are the chances a whole nation can be duped into ignoring horrible actions perpetrated by their government by creating a percieved threat to their lives?
I'm not saying that the right to bear arms is a bad thing. If you want to ownone, that's your perogative. I'm just saying the *first thing* they'll do is take away your guns, and they'll amend the Constitutions to do it.
To put it another way: When the speech to start a revolution becomes a crime, it will be a crime to own a gun. But that doesn't mean there won't be any guns to be had. Arms dealers are very good at getting guns to people who want them. Heck, the French Resistance had guns and explosives and they lived in Nazi occupied areas.
I'm also saying that I'll get my off-the-grid house and stay out of the whole thing. I never wanted to be on this planet in the first place.
Are you claiming that the "haves" will posess the right to initiate force as a means to an end? (That's what the word "ruling" means.) In any event, your claim is nothing more than an assumption. One could just as easily argue that capitalism narrows, not widens, the gap between rich and poor. (If it weren't for the rich providing work for the poor, the poor wouldn't even get off the starting block.)
Actually, the poor would very easily get off the starting block, if only the poor existed. They would be able to divide the land equitably and provide for themselves. Yeah, they won't have cars and stuff, but they'll be more free than if they worked 9-5 at a factory.
The rich have no interest in the poor providing for themselves. So they create the concept of land ownership, and the government (invariably controlled by the rich) punishes people who want to farm on the land. This forces the poor to work for the rich.
This increases the labor pool which lowers the cost of labor. It happened in the late industrial revolution, until labor unions forced the rich to treat them nicely through regulation or their own threat of force, which isn't a purely capitalistic society.
There is absolutely no proof that pure capitalism (anarcho-capitalism, i.e. the purely voluntary society) cannot work. You are right about communism, however.
True communism, on a large scale, never really existed. I believe it can work, but only on scales people can grasp. If you get too big, they can't see the benefit of their labor and how they benefit from the labor of others, which then requres infringing on their liberties which is wrong, and what was required to keep the Soviet and Chinese regimes in power.
However, many primitive societies have no concept of ownership, which is the purest definition of communism (communal living).
A purely capitalistic society is to horrifying for me to think of, and I'd probably opt-out of society before it even got close to being like that.
Maybe that's why we should all go buy M1s and Bradley APCs to haul the kids to and from soccer practice. And I bet I could get to DisneyWorld really fast if I flew in my personal F-15. Clearing a landing strip once I get therewould be easy; just strafe and bomb the parking lot.
Where can I pick up so mutated anthrax? For duck hunting.
If you can't tell, I'm being sarcastic. If the government wanted to force the people to do its bidding, it would have no trouble doing so. Those who resisted would be woefully outnumbered. Yeah, your.22 revolver might work on the thug stealing your TV, but I don't think it would stop a squad of troops raiding your house and arresting you for owning it.
Greed is also why communism doesn't work, and why a capitalistic system will evolve into a very small number of 'haves' ruling over and employing a large number of 'have-nots'.
So since capitalism and communism don't work, what are we left with?
Better idea: Personal Income tax, paid by the individual or family, can be personally allocated. All other taxes are allocated by the government.
That way, if NASA or the USGS don't get funding (though they'd get almost all of my money), those in the know would be able to get funding directed that way.
This also gives the people some power over corporate welfare.
In my experience, the equipment works slower than the version cashiers use, and doesn't work as well either.
Maybe if I had union cashiers and baggers I might have had a different experience, but self scanning and checkout is infinitely better than letting some pimply faced high school kids ring up my portabellas as oyster mushrooms and cost me an extra 50 per pound.
With a couple items I can get through self-checkout faster than a cashier can. Of course, waiting for the other folks to figure out how to use the thing is a different story.
I don't like the "You're approaching a special" thing, but the ability for it to keep a running total would be good, as would thr ability to do a search for a product's location without having to inconvenience one of the oh-so-helpful people who work at supermarkets./sarcasm
Another good idea would be for people to make their shopping lists online and then have the cart parse out the list and display the needed items on a per aisle basis. It would work something like this:
1) Shopper signs up for bonus card
2)Shopper logs in to supermarket web site and makes a shopping list
3)When shopper gets to store, they scan their bonus card on the cart, which queries the db and downloads the shopping list, and then looks for specials and alternatives that could save money.
So, yeah, it could be useful. Or it could be a moving, bug-ridden spam box that urges you to buy the most expensive thing in the store instead of the one you want.
Reminds me of a story I read once but can't find right now. It's the future, and some college kid reads a book from a friend he needs for his degree but can't afford to buy. Reading another person's book is illegal, and he's stressed that the government will bust him and his girlfriend.
It talks a bit about how there are colonies on the moon and mars where people aren't afraid to read books other people own, because they're so far away and the government can't punish them.
10 karma points to s/he who finds this story. It's perfect for this topic.
My wife was addicted to neopets in College. She's also the "owner" of what is probably the last intact Golden Scarab in existence and has over 1.7 million Neopoints. She still uses it from time to time, but for the most part doesn't have time for it.
So, yeah, they're not real adults quite yet. When they don't have time to play computer games because they have too much other stuff to do (mow the lawn, clean the kitchen, empty cat box, trim the hedges, work), then they're adults.
Clarify: Auto *manufacturing.* I'm pretty sure a lot of the auto design industry is still in Detroit.
It's part of the new "Creativity Economy": A few people get paid well to get creative while the rest of us make their lattes, fix their cars, and mend their boo boos.
1) Get Associate's Degree in nursing
2) Get nursing job that pays $50K/year + benefits + $10K signing bonus (Yup, I've seen them.)
3) Profit!!! (And increase your risk of getting communicable diseases, deal with other people's illnesses, poke people with needles, and deal with all the idiotic adults and screaming children the general public can throw at you.)
As you can see, Bush's plan is foolproof. There's not even a ??? step!
Slashdot Mirror
My Power Mac G4/400 runs OS 10.3 spiffily with only 640MB of PC100 RAM. I still use it as a file/print/test web server, as well as Civ III and email/web/IM for both my wife and me. I fully expect it to perform well in this capacity for the next few years. Besides, if you *need* more power, switch up to the Powerbook or an iMac. Or that sa-weet new G5 they just put out.
All in a super-sleek and rugged design with wicked battery performance (6 hours!) and the best OS there is. This is a sweet notebook.
For under $2,500 I can get my wife off my Powerbook AND a new G5!
I'm about as big a fanboy as there is, but if the government switched over to any one OS, there would be people writing exploits for that OS, even if it were Linux or OS X.
The best bet is to pick the right OS for the job, and give people autonomy to find the right solution. Diversifying the systems means that any one exploit won't bring the whole government down.
That being said, there's no reason 80% of the government couldn't switch to Linux or OS X. My dad is a Federal Official and all he uses his PC for is email, web, and some light word processing, mostly reading documents.
1) The DeLorean was a two door.
2) It's Gigawatts. There's no such thing as a jigawatt.
What are the chances people would herd dissidents and unwanted elements of society into camps where they would be worked to death or gassed, then thrown into ovens? What are the chances corporations who stand to benefit from a military build-up would look the other way or help the government to commit immoral acts? What are the chances a whole nation can be duped into ignoring horrible actions perpetrated by their government by creating a percieved threat to their lives?
I'm not saying that the right to bear arms is a bad thing. If you want to ownone, that's your perogative. I'm just saying the *first thing* they'll do is take away your guns, and they'll amend the Constitutions to do it.
To put it another way: When the speech to start a revolution becomes a crime, it will be a crime to own a gun. But that doesn't mean there won't be any guns to be had. Arms dealers are very good at getting guns to people who want them. Heck, the French Resistance had guns and explosives and they lived in Nazi occupied areas.
I'm also saying that I'll get my off-the-grid house and stay out of the whole thing. I never wanted to be on this planet in the first place.
Actually, the poor would very easily get off the starting block, if only the poor existed. They would be able to divide the land equitably and provide for themselves. Yeah, they won't have cars and stuff, but they'll be more free than if they worked 9-5 at a factory.
The rich have no interest in the poor providing for themselves. So they create the concept of land ownership, and the government (invariably controlled by the rich) punishes people who want to farm on the land. This forces the poor to work for the rich.
This increases the labor pool which lowers the cost of labor. It happened in the late industrial revolution, until labor unions forced the rich to treat them nicely through regulation or their own threat of force, which isn't a purely capitalistic society.
There is absolutely no proof that pure capitalism (anarcho-capitalism, i.e. the purely voluntary society) cannot work. You are right about communism, however.
True communism, on a large scale, never really existed. I believe it can work, but only on scales people can grasp. If you get too big, they can't see the benefit of their labor and how they benefit from the labor of others, which then requres infringing on their liberties which is wrong, and what was required to keep the Soviet and Chinese regimes in power.
However, many primitive societies have no concept of ownership, which is the purest definition of communism (communal living).
A purely capitalistic society is to horrifying for me to think of, and I'd probably opt-out of society before it even got close to being like that.
Unfortunately, he pointed to Iraq instead of NK.
Let's put him on a short bus back to Texas.
Where can I pick up so mutated anthrax? For duck hunting.
If you can't tell, I'm being sarcastic. If the government wanted to force the people to do its bidding, it would have no trouble doing so. Those who resisted would be woefully outnumbered. Yeah, your .22 revolver might work on the thug stealing your TV, but I don't think it would stop a squad of troops raiding your house and arresting you for owning it.
Greed is also why communism doesn't work, and why a capitalistic system will evolve into a very small number of 'haves' ruling over and employing a large number of 'have-nots'.
So since capitalism and communism don't work, what are we left with?
Actually, the former is supported by the fact that you can write all or some of the donation off on your taxes.
That way, if NASA or the USGS don't get funding (though they'd get almost all of my money), those in the know would be able to get funding directed that way.
This also gives the people some power over corporate welfare.
If voting worked it would be illegal.
I'd hate to read quill-written dead tree format. How do you grep such a document?
Stewart should interview Cobb and Badnarik.
Most people I know don't like the self-checkout things, and prefer cashiers when it's not too crowded.
Maybe if I had union cashiers and baggers I might have had a different experience, but self scanning and checkout is infinitely better than letting some pimply faced high school kids ring up my portabellas as oyster mushrooms and cost me an extra 50 per pound.
With a couple items I can get through self-checkout faster than a cashier can. Of course, waiting for the other folks to figure out how to use the thing is a different story.
Another good idea would be for people to make their shopping lists online and then have the cart parse out the list and display the needed items on a per aisle basis. It would work something like this:
1) Shopper signs up for bonus card
2)Shopper logs in to supermarket web site and makes a shopping list
3)When shopper gets to store, they scan their bonus card on the cart, which queries the db and downloads the shopping list, and then looks for specials and alternatives that could save money.
So, yeah, it could be useful. Or it could be a moving, bug-ridden spam box that urges you to buy the most expensive thing in the store instead of the one you want.
Halfway through the vein in his head would burst from the sheer bullshit flung by both parties.
If his performance on CNN makes you love him, check the transcript from when he was on NOW with Bill Moyers...
That's the one. Thanks, I bookmarked it.
It talks a bit about how there are colonies on the moon and mars where people aren't afraid to read books other people own, because they're so far away and the government can't punish them.
10 karma points to s/he who finds this story. It's perfect for this topic.
So, yeah, they're not real adults quite yet. When they don't have time to play computer games because they have too much other stuff to do (mow the lawn, clean the kitchen, empty cat box, trim the hedges, work), then they're adults.
It's part of the new "Creativity Economy": A few people get paid well to get creative while the rest of us make their lattes, fix their cars, and mend their boo boos.
2) Get nursing job that pays $50K/year + benefits + $10K signing bonus (Yup, I've seen them.)
3) Profit!!! (And increase your risk of getting communicable diseases, deal with other people's illnesses, poke people with needles, and deal with all the idiotic adults and screaming children the general public can throw at you.)
As you can see, Bush's plan is foolproof. There's not even a ??? step!