It's certainly true that most CD players sound better than most record players but I miss one thing about vinyl, artwork. The shrunken down artowrk on CDs doesn't do it justice. Neither does displaying it on an iPod screen. Perhaps EMI could sweeten the pot by including folded posters of the artwork or something like that. I like reading about the the musicians I'm listening to and looking at pictures of them playing. Maybe they could include stuff like that. I'm interested in what kinds of guitars, amps, drums and other equipment they use. Perhaps they could include some of that info.
I agree with the top poster, DRM'd iTunes (and other issues) is prolonging the life of CDs. I buy CDs and rip 'em. If EMI wants to give me a little extra or cut their prices some, I'm OK with that.
You, nor many others are really getting it. They're not going to tax your stuff in game, they're going to figure out how to shackle eBay with a scheme to report all your personal sales to the IRS, then tax you on them. Won't matter whether you're turning a profit or not, they'll want a cut of it.
On principle, selling your stuff on eBay ain't no different than selling it on a local newsgroup, newspaper classified ad page or a flea market table. They don't typically try to tax such sales.
Moving out the majority of industries looks good on paper, but it takes far longer to re-configure business ecologies (just vendor business relationships, for example)...
Some of these changes are apt to be irreversible. The domestic supply chain has all but disappeared in some industries. The remaining US electronic manufacturers are no doubt finding it challenging to procure components these days.
To survive the economic order we find ourselves in today, it is not sufficient to become very adaptable (I adapted by starting my own business, into my fourth year now, back to my dot com level income and still growing). You must also be far more aware of risks to your financial health because today is a much more perilous time for those unsavvy about personal finances. Most of the world population have been given access to astoundingly sophisticated financial tools at dirt cheap prices compared to even just 20 years ago, but precious few have the education to take advantage of them.
I'd like to discuss this with you at length...
... increased income volatility means your effective income is reduced until your capital base reaches a sufficient mass to compensate for the volatility...
I've never heard it put this way but I agree. I too have become more parsimonious and debt averse. My savings rate has increased dramatically during the past 15 years, although if anyone had asked me, I doubt I would have been able to articulate it as succinctly as you have.
... to say what is coming will not be pleasant (I anticipate until well into the 2010's) is an understatement.
It was meant tongue and cheek. Besides increased investments and cash reserves, I've stockpiled gold and silver coins. For the past decade, I've trained extensively in karate, judo, okinawan weapons, japanese sword and have amassed a small arsenal of firearms and a supply of camping gear. This is my idea of preparation for unpleasant times.;-)
I stand corrected. Mal*Wart does have them. I tend to avoid going there. I suppose the brand name is still worth something. RCA closed the last of their US plants in 97. I worked at the Indianapolis RCA plant in the 80s when they still made sets.
Did you notice any other name on your TV, i.e. manufactured for RCA by ____ or have they dispensed with all that? For example, RCA didn't make their VCRs even though they held several key patents. During the 80s, most were made by Hitachi and private labeled as RCA.
So now that I accept that I'm in this global economy I would like to purchase my camera directly from China and cut out...
... the middleman? The hollowed out US company that used to design, engineer and manufacture that camera? The shell of a company that is nothing more than a brand name with a sales force, selling the Chinese designed, engineered and manufactured camera? Yeah, well friend, that is the next step. You don't have to cut out the middle man. The chinese companies will.
Ever notice how the old trusted American names in TVs have kind of been marginalized. When was the last time you saw an RCA TV? a Zenith? You can still buy RCA from the Radio Shaft. Yeah. Like I'm going there for a TV with Pest Buy and Suckit Shiatty across the street. What do you see on the shelves of those stores, not to mention Mal*Wart? They have the familiar Japanese and Korean brands like Panasonic, Sharp and Samsung but then there are brands like Norcent, probably a chinese company, and I must say Norcent makes a fine looking TV.
My point: the companies who resorted to outsourcing as a survival strategy will ultimately succumb to this fate. At some point they become baggage. They outsource themselves right out of existence. This is the folly of outsourcing.
I've heard quite a few outsourcing screw up anecdotes. It just doesn't matter. People may pay lip service to quality but then they buy on price. The cost differential is so great companies will endure alot of bad experiences to get the china price and eventually, they will find a good vendor. I think alot of these outsourcing ain't working out stories are just wishful thinking. Don't get me wrong. I'm no fan of outsourcing. I just don't want like minded people getting their hopes up when they hear stories like this. For every horror story, there are many more "success" stories.
Some of you have pointed out that one reason for the disparity in pay which makes outsourcing attractive is the disparity in living standards. I agree. As more and more high paying jobs leave the US for lower cost regions of the world, Americans will have less disposable income. They are already deep in debt. At some point, consumption must fall.
I don't think many Americans understand the extent of the wrenching adjustments that lie ahead. It will not be pleasant.
I suppose SONY and Dell either forgot all the lawsuits in the 60s and 70s stemming from TV sets burning down houses or they just didn't think the same kind of thing could happen to them. They will pay a hefty price.
What path should engineers pursue for maximum future employability?"
As an engineer who's about to turn 50, I would suggest you pursue a different career. Opportunities for engineers are dwindling. Today, most product manufacturing and design is done in countries outside the USA. If you plan on remaining in the USA, prospects for continued engineering employment are bleak.
The State: let it grow, let it restrain, let it fail to provide and let the imbeciles that support it think they're doing good for others. I've already found my ways to ignore it in 70% of my life. Eventually I'll extend that more, and not be concerned with what the mad majority wants to do this year that will harm people for generations.
Well, I hope it all works out for ya. But unfortunately there are some restraints imposed by the state which are ignored at great peril. Prison ain't a nice place. It seems the state is doing everything possible to swell the prison population. I "support" the state only because I don't want to go to prison.
"... some users on the Apple support forums are reporting moderate to severe discoloration near the palm rest and other locations of their new white MacBooks..."
Maybe they were using 'em on the crapper or didn't wipe first.
I guess is depends on what you mean bby retire. I know lots of people who have to work when they "retire". Wages haven't kept pace with the cost of living for most working people. Many already live paycheck to paycheck. Most will be lucky if they can retire, as in no longer work. You best make certain you really do have enough to live off when you eventually do retire. Retire at 50? As rampant as age discrimination is, you'll be lucky to have a decent job that long.
Many bosses like to be able to pop in unannounced to check up on employees and keep them honest. That's not so easy when they telecommute. It's hard to tell how long they "worked".
As the price of gas soars, it's becoming irresponsible to force all this commuting. Even if it's just 1 or 2 days a week, it reduces traffic. pollution and improves employees lives.
I'm a big guy with big hands and big fingers. The buttons on most cell phones are too small. I often press 2 buttons instead of one. I can't read the display on some phones without my glasses.
I was recently looking for a cell phone for my 82 year old dad. I asked whether any of them came with larger keys. His hands are as big as mine and his vision is worse. Unfortunately, there aren't any cell phones made like that. He tried the LG they were giving away with the service but he couldn't deal with it.
It doesn't make any difference to him whether it has a camera or can play mp3s. He just wants a phone. For me, the csmera might be handy but not the mp3. Small size is great up to a point but when the buttons are too small, it's no longer an advantage.
OS/2 could run Windows Apps, DOS Apps and Windows itself. If that wasn't enough, it could dual boot to Windows just as easily. So nobody felt much pressure to port applications to OS/2.
Seems to me that by switching to Intel hardware and establiching this dual boot setup, Apple has brought about the same situation. Why support OSX if Mac users can run Windows?
Despite the Labor Dept's forecast of a 40% increase in 'computer/math scientist' jobs,
First, this Labor Dept forecast is fantasy. They're bought and paid for by industry lobbyists to plant such stories in the media before the lobbyists ask for an increase in temporary visas.
There ain't no shortage of CS, EE or any other technical people! There never has been and never will be!
The market works. Right now there are probably more than a million displaced technical people who've taken jobs in non-technical fields because it was all they could get. Prospective students see this and think twice before slogging their way through computer science or engineering courses. These are some of the most difficult, intense, time consuming curricula at any university. If the reward ain't there or is substantially diminished, students avoid those majors. As Norm Matloff has pointed out, enrollments in CS have historically risen and fallen in lock step with the actual demand for CS graduates. Outsourcing and offshoring enables companies to jettison their American workers while keeping their American markets, at least, for the time being. My employer is expanding operations in China and hiring developers there rather than adding more workers in the US. So we don't have many openings for developers in the US today.
In short, fuck concerts, especially those of the old artists who don't enjoy them, don't care what the audience (the fucking CUSTOMER!) want, and are only doing it to finance their latest castle/porsche combo. Fuck 'em.
Agreed. Check out the DVD of Cream's reunion concert at the Royal Albert Hall last year. It's just chock full of the good old stuff, a real treat. They ain't spring chickens but they can still play. They even played some stuff they'd never done live like Badge and Pressed Rat & Warthog. Those guys were having a great time and felt lucky to be able to do it. That's the kind of concert I want to see.
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It's certainly true that most CD players sound better than most record players but I miss one thing about vinyl, artwork. The shrunken down artowrk on CDs doesn't do it justice. Neither does displaying it on an iPod screen. Perhaps EMI could sweeten the pot by including folded posters of the artwork or something like that. I like reading about the the musicians I'm listening to and looking at pictures of them playing. Maybe they could include stuff like that. I'm interested in what kinds of guitars, amps, drums and other equipment they use. Perhaps they could include some of that info.
I agree with the top poster, DRM'd iTunes (and other issues) is prolonging the life of CDs. I buy CDs and rip 'em. If EMI wants to give me a little extra or cut their prices some, I'm OK with that.
You, nor many others are really getting it. They're not going to tax your stuff in game, they're going to figure out how to shackle eBay with a scheme to report all your personal sales to the IRS, then tax you on them. Won't matter whether you're turning a profit or not, they'll want a cut of it.
On principle, selling your stuff on eBay ain't no different than selling it on a local newsgroup, newspaper classified ad page or a flea market table. They don't typically try to tax such sales.
Moving out the majority of industries looks good on paper, but it takes far longer to re-configure business ecologies (just vendor business relationships, for example)
Some of these changes are apt to be irreversible. The domestic supply chain has all but disappeared in some industries. The remaining US electronic manufacturers are no doubt finding it challenging to procure components these days.
To survive the economic order we find ourselves in today, it is not sufficient to become very adaptable (I adapted by starting my own business, into my fourth year now, back to my dot com level income and still growing). You must also be far more aware of risks to your financial health because today is a much more perilous time for those unsavvy about personal finances. Most of the world population have been given access to astoundingly sophisticated financial tools at dirt cheap prices compared to even just 20 years ago, but precious few have the education to take advantage of them.
I'd like to discuss this with you at length
I've never heard it put this way but I agree. I too have become more parsimonious and debt averse. My savings rate has increased dramatically during the past 15 years, although if anyone had asked me, I doubt I would have been able to articulate it as succinctly as you have.
It was meant tongue and cheek. Besides increased investments and cash reserves, I've stockpiled gold and silver coins. For the past decade, I've trained extensively in karate, judo, okinawan weapons, japanese sword and have amassed a small arsenal of firearms and a supply of camping gear. This is my idea of preparation for unpleasant times.
I stand corrected. Mal*Wart does have them. I tend to avoid going there. I suppose the brand name is still worth something. RCA closed the last of their US plants in 97. I worked at the Indianapolis RCA plant in the 80s when they still made sets.
Did you notice any other name on your TV, i.e. manufactured for RCA by ____ or have they dispensed with all that? For example, RCA didn't make their VCRs even though they held several key patents. During the 80s, most were made by Hitachi and private labeled as RCA.
So now that I accept that I'm in this global economy I would like to purchase my camera directly from China and cut out
Ever notice how the old trusted American names in TVs have kind of been marginalized. When was the last time you saw an RCA TV? a Zenith? You can still buy RCA from the Radio Shaft. Yeah. Like I'm going there for a TV with Pest Buy and Suckit Shiatty across the street. What do you see on the shelves of those stores, not to mention Mal*Wart? They have the familiar Japanese and Korean brands like Panasonic, Sharp and Samsung but then there are brands like Norcent, probably a chinese company, and I must say Norcent makes a fine looking TV.
My point: the companies who resorted to outsourcing as a survival strategy will ultimately succumb to this fate. At some point they become baggage. They outsource themselves right out of existence. This is the folly of outsourcing.
I've heard quite a few outsourcing screw up anecdotes. It just doesn't matter. People may pay lip service to quality but then they buy on price. The cost differential is so great companies will endure alot of bad experiences to get the china price and eventually, they will find a good vendor. I think alot of these outsourcing ain't working out stories are just wishful thinking. Don't get me wrong. I'm no fan of outsourcing. I just don't want like minded people getting their hopes up when they hear stories like this. For every horror story, there are many more "success" stories.
Some of you have pointed out that one reason for the disparity in pay which makes outsourcing attractive is the disparity in living standards. I agree. As more and more high paying jobs leave the US for lower cost regions of the world, Americans will have less disposable income. They are already deep in debt. At some point, consumption must fall.
I don't think many Americans understand the extent of the wrenching adjustments that lie ahead. It will not be pleasant.
According to Businessweek, most private sector jobs created in the 21st century have been in health care.
What's Really Propping Up The Economy
This is a remarkable trend. I don't know about the rest of you but I ain't none too excited about the prospects of a career in health care.
I urge everyone to request absentee ballots early. I don't want my vote disappearing in a Diebold machine.
They got Radio Shafted.
I suppose SONY and Dell either forgot all the lawsuits in the 60s and 70s stemming from TV sets burning down houses or they just didn't think the same kind of thing could happen to them. They will pay a hefty price.
What path should engineers pursue for maximum future employability?"
As an engineer who's about to turn 50, I would suggest you pursue a different career. Opportunities for engineers are dwindling. Today, most product manufacturing and design is done in countries outside the USA. If you plan on remaining in the USA, prospects for continued engineering employment are bleak.
I alaways thought Rambus sounded more like a brand of condoms.
The State: let it grow, let it restrain, let it fail to provide and let the imbeciles that support it think they're doing good for others. I've already found my ways to ignore it in 70% of my life. Eventually I'll extend that more, and not be concerned with what the mad majority wants to do this year that will harm people for generations.
Well, I hope it all works out for ya. But unfortunately there are some restraints imposed by the state which are ignored at great peril. Prison ain't a nice place. It seems the state is doing everything possible to swell the prison population. I "support" the state only because I don't want to go to prison.
I hope that god damn crook busts hell wide open.
The title says it all
"... some users on the Apple support forums are reporting moderate to severe discoloration near the palm rest and other locations of their new white MacBooks
Maybe they were using 'em on the crapper or didn't wipe first.
I guess is depends on what you mean bby retire. I know lots of people who have to work when they "retire". Wages haven't kept pace with the cost of living for most working people. Many already live paycheck to paycheck. Most will be lucky if they can retire, as in no longer work. You best make certain you really do have enough to live off when you eventually do retire. Retire at 50? As rampant as age discrimination is, you'll be lucky to have a decent job that long.
Many bosses like to be able to pop in unannounced to check up on employees and keep them honest. That's not so easy when they telecommute. It's hard to tell how long they "worked".
As the price of gas soars, it's becoming irresponsible to force all this commuting. Even if it's just 1 or 2 days a week, it reduces traffic. pollution and improves employees lives.
There's been a steady stream of layoff announcements over the past 6 years. And yet, Bush and many economist pundits claim the US economy is strong.
I'm a big guy with big hands and big fingers. The buttons on most cell phones are too small. I often press 2 buttons instead of one. I can't read the display on some phones without my glasses.
I was recently looking for a cell phone for my 82 year old dad. I asked whether any of them came with larger keys. His hands are as big as mine and his vision is worse. Unfortunately, there aren't any cell phones made like that. He tried the LG they were giving away with the service but he couldn't deal with it.
It doesn't make any difference to him whether it has a camera or can play mp3s. He just wants a phone. For me, the csmera might be handy but not the mp3. Small size is great up to a point but when the buttons are too small, it's no longer an advantage.
OS/2 could run Windows Apps, DOS Apps and Windows itself. If that wasn't enough, it could dual boot to Windows just as easily. So nobody felt much pressure to port applications to OS/2.
Seems to me that by switching to Intel hardware and establiching this dual boot setup, Apple has brought about the same situation. Why support OSX if Mac users can run Windows?
Despite the Labor Dept's forecast of a 40% increase in 'computer/math scientist' jobs,
First, this Labor Dept forecast is fantasy. They're bought and paid for by industry lobbyists to plant such stories in the media before the lobbyists ask for an increase in temporary visas.
There ain't no shortage of CS, EE or any other technical people! There never has been and never will be!
The market works. Right now there are probably more than a million displaced technical people who've taken jobs in non-technical fields because it was all they could get. Prospective students see this and think twice before slogging their way through computer science or engineering courses. These are some of the most difficult, intense, time consuming curricula at any university. If the reward ain't there or is substantially diminished, students avoid those majors. As Norm Matloff has pointed out, enrollments in CS have historically risen and fallen in lock step with the actual demand for CS graduates. Outsourcing and offshoring enables companies to jettison their American workers while keeping their American markets, at least, for the time being. My employer is expanding operations in China and hiring developers there rather than adding more workers in the US. So we don't have many openings for developers in the US today.
In short, fuck concerts, especially those of the old artists who don't enjoy them, don't care what the audience (the fucking CUSTOMER!) want, and are only doing it to finance their latest castle/porsche combo. Fuck 'em.
Agreed. Check out the DVD of Cream's reunion concert at the Royal Albert Hall last year. It's just chock full of the good old stuff, a real treat. They ain't spring chickens but they can still play. They even played some stuff they'd never done live like Badge and Pressed Rat & Warthog. Those guys were having a great time and felt lucky to be able to do it. That's the kind of concert I want to see.