Back in the late '80s and early '90s every year was predicted to be the year that LANs finally exploded. Never happened. A few people here and there put in a LAN, but there was no massive explosion of installations. Then one day someone looked and low and behold everyone had a LAN.
Likewise the linux desktop will not explode overnight. Instead a few companies here and there will get sick of Windows, or need something special that Windows doesn't give, but linux allows them to write. Those companies will install linux. Perhaps not even all at once, just for the few people who need it. Slowly, slowly, slowly, linux will get better while it gets a few wins. Suddenly one day we will look back and see linux everywhere.
Of course on that day *BSD people like me will sigh and go on using our better OS that never gets any press...;)
Its worse than you say. Even if the designer considers something, how do you go from seeing it to code, and still be done in reasonable time.
I have some obvious ideas to improve the AI on some open source games. I looked into the AI and quickly realized that humans can instantly process something that computers take a long time to figure out. You look at the map and think "Oh, there was someone in place X, but he isn't there, he must have the invisible suit on, but I know he only moves so fast, so there is only one logical place for him to be. Computers can do that, but even on todays computers it requires a lot of RAM and CPU time.
Thats just one example where a human can quickly see the solution, but can't write it into a good program.
I know more than one person who can get one tv station, and it is fuzzy. There is more snow than picture, but because everything is analog they can figure out what is going on.
Digital doesn't degrade that nicely. Either you get a perfect picture, or nothing. If you only see a little noise, than Digital is better than analog, but if you see a lot of noise, then analog is much better.
Who needs to read slashdot? Who needs a TV? Who needs electric lights? Who needs pets? Who needs a radio? Who needs books? Answer: nobody. You need the basics: food, clothing, and shelter. Everything else is a luxury that is nice to have.
Despite the ability to kill, guns are far less dangerous than things like cars.
What does that have to do with the argument? Ammo is very reliable. The only ammo I've had fail on me was due to my improper storage, and even most of that fired. I've had one gun fail on me, after many thousands of rounds, and it was a cheap model. People have shot ammo that is over 100 years old, and it works like brand new.
In short: the systems of our current guns are very reliable. Things do not break often.
There is nothing about current guns that you can get rid of with a smart gun. You change some (the safety is not electrical), but mostly you add parts that can fail. Care to consider the odds this so called smart gun will recognize me after 50 years on the shelf. This is a likely situation in the case of self defense guns. (though you should shoot it more often)
The city has power here, if they use it. Tell SBC in no uncertain terms that either high speed fiber is roller out to every home for and affordable price, or they loose rights to have their wire in the ground. The city can easily form a co-op to do phone service, and is likely to get better service if they do so.
Note that this is assuming the city is really running the numbers right. I've seen many cases where a city has installed something at great expense because it would pay for itself in the long run, and then nearly bankrupt when it didn't work out.
This should be the last resort because it is not a nice thing to do. So try all the other suggestions first.
A ham is allowed to use far more power on the 2.4Ghz band. Now there are limits to what you can do with this (which more or less exclude putting your AP on it). However as a licensed radio operators they must make sure their routers do not interfere with you when you are using your ham equipment!
A combination of cranking your power up, when they most want to use the net (shuts them off), and turning it way down othertimes until you cannot receive a signal because of their interference, and you can have the FCC shut them down.
Of course as a ham you need to check the laws closely. Make sure you are on the right side of everything.
I find it hard to believe the any country would be particularly interested in protecting spammers. Seems to me more like a case of the UK being helpful because they know their citizens are sick of spam and this will help rid the world of it.
I don't know if the UK is as strict about porn as the US, but I don't think it matters too much. I don't think they would consider this a porn issue.
I don't know if they make sales, but they do get people into your booth. As the salesmen at one company I used to work for discovered. The first day of the show nobody stopped at their booth, so they hired some booth babes figuring that they might as well have something to look at while they are bored. Because of the booth babes the booth was packed. I don't know if it caused any sales, but next time you see booth babes remember they are the salesmen's hedge against boredom in an empty booth, and not an attempt to get you there.
Red Hat employees a significant number of linux hackers. (Kernel, plus Gnome) When you buy Red Hat you get not only the support, you get someone who is working in general to make linux better.
I do not know my friends finances in detail. However I can make educated guesses because I know what they do, and about how much that job pays. (Some have left paystubs in my car when I gave them a ride) I know about howmuch their house way worth when they bought it. I have a pretty good idea what they paid for their cars, particularly if it is brand new. Do some simple math and I have a good idea of their ability to save money. I can see other things they It isn't hard to see who is living beyond their means, and who is not.
Those living beyond their means have designer clothes of the latest style. They have new cars. There is no way they can be saving money because the car payment and house payment is most of their income. Somehow they are also eating out often. Somehow they are buying clothing. Somehow they find money for other toys.
Those who are saving money are easy to tell: they do not drive new cars. They have no problem with Wal*mart clothes (or other discount retailer).
Since both of my senators are on their first term, and my representative is on his second (third?) term, I can't say they are long term incumbents, though I agree those who are in that situation need to start voting them out. I wasn't going to vote for my representative, except his opponent was truly awful and the third parties didn't have good options.
Don't forget the missing record angle. If these memos existed, they are missing now. Records of his service, if any, are also missing. Since he got an honerable discharge, I find it hard to believe these document ever existed. Without a time machine and a good invisibility suit we can't know for sure. Some of the people involved are dead.
McCain? Didn't he get his name on the Incumbent protection act? He clearly doesn't believe in freedom of speech when it could cost him re-election. Reason enough to not vote for him.
Google does have a monopoly on web searches, and Apple has a monopoly on HD based music players. There is nothing illegal or immoral about it. However if you have a monopoly it is illegal and immoral to do some things that would otherwise be normal competition.
Thus Apple perhaps should be forced to open up their iTunes music format to anyone. (though this is dependant on keeping the monopoly, since HD based music players are easy to make it is questionable if they can keep it in the long run)
I can't think of anything google is doing right now that a monopolist is not allowed, but they do need to be careful because when I discover that I will be against google.
You don't have to tell me. I have friends who are doing it. Well some are doing it, and others on more income are not. It is a matter of putting your priorities in order.
That is six months expenses, not six months of income! Unemployment insurance only covers you, if it is no fault of your own. Everyone makes mistakes, a large number of people will be fired at sometime in their life. (The smart will not admit it if they can help it, it looks bad) You don't need $40k, you need 6x your house payment, macaroni&cheese, plus heat. (and whatever else it takes to find a job, phone and internet today)
That savings is for any emergency. Insurance often takes while to pay, so you may end up using your emergency savings as the downpayment after the emergency, and then have insurance pay you back.
Many people would also count getting a good deal on a rare antique (of the type they collect) an emergency. So long as there is no other situation likely to happen soon, and you don't use the entire savings up, I'd count that. Just make sure you keep some savings, in case you need it.
It is often recommended that you split the savings into 6, 6 month CDs at the bank, one every month. This does conflict with the "antique" emergency but it is a good idea otherwise.
Note that if you expect to die soon, and have no dependants, this does not apply. You should always live life so that your last dollar is spent just minutes before you die. However I know more than one person who several years ago was down to 1 month to live, and they are still alive. Therefore this a goal, that cannot be achieved.
I'm well aware that most people do not live like me. (I fit the slashdot stereotype - unmarried, no kids, good job...) However that doesn't mean much. I've seen many people successfully save money while in worse situations from me.
Yes it can take a while to build up savings, that is not an excuse to not do so. I didn't mean that you should be able to gather 6 months savings in a week. It may take a while to save up, but you need to do it. I've seen people lose a high paying job, and not find something close. They learn suddenly how to live on much less income.
BTW, I myself fell into that situation. No raise for a couple years (cost cutting), before they finally closed down. I ended up working for 1/3rd my previous wage to make ends meet. This can happen to everyone, so you need to prepare. Excuses don't cut it, most people will lose their job sometime in their life.
My parents were never rich, but they knew how to save. Sometimes supper was little more than bread and water (it was always healthy and balanced, but sometimes it was really cheap), but they still put money in the bank. I never pretended saving money was easy, I only said you need to do it.
In the US it is illegal to send advertising to any caller pays service. So someone can SMS me an advertisement and I won't care because the net cost to me is $-499.90. (I pay $.10 for the SMS, and collect $500 in court) That doesn't include time, but it is still a good deal.
Frankly, I don't see why Europe puts up with their stupid plans. Sure incoming calls are free, but that means you have no clue what a call will cost, and you don't care what your provider charges. SMS is more popular in Europe because your screwed up system means that you cannot know what you will pay for a simple phone call. Here in the US I know exactly what I pay for a phone call to anyone in the US:$0.00. (I do pay a monthly fee, but that covers more time than I use).
Anytime I might be close to the limit I take my envelope to the post office. I've never had my federal forms go over the normal first class limit. Once my state forms did. (the state gets a copy of all federal forms, plus their own forms)
I trust the post office enough not to bother with certified mail. Most people do the same. Odds are in my favor.
Your 6 months expenses emergency savings can easily cover most of the emergencies you listed. You should have insurance for the rest. If you don't have 6 months expenses in the bank (not income, expenses) you need to cut back until you do. Not to mention if you credit is good you can finance any of the above.
That is emergency money, so you can use it in an emergency. People are just too interested in having every toy now that they forget to think about how to pay for it.
Only a very small number of poor people can use the excuse that they can't cut back. (In countries with a standard of living similar to the US)
For starters, just be friendly. IF you walk up one day and start ranting about Bush's big spending ways, or some such, you look like a kook. If during your weekly card game you respond to someone's comment about the difficulties of keeping a budget with a dig at Bush's big spending, you have made a point. Just start out as friends though.
I know of one profession that works lots of unpaid overtime: CXX (CEO, CFO,...). That is the very top people in any company. Of course they have fit your profile of being rewarded for their hard work.
I make two, maybe three times as much money as I need for a comfortable life, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting less than I'm worth. If you want me to work long hours (for more than one critical week here and there) your in for a surprise : I don't care. I'll work long hours here and there when required. I'll work long hours when I'm "in the zone". I won't work long hours in general though, because I have a life outside of work. (though sometimes that life is nothing more than/. and kde, I'd get fired for either on company time)
First of all: Do not run cat-5 between buildings. Unless you have the ability to figure out and prevent ground loops, you are asking for trouble. Use either fiber or wireless. (or 10base5, if you can find it anymore, but shipping from eBay is likely to be more than other solutions)
Next, put the computer off your clean room. Cutting wood implies that you will be putting a finish on it latter, and finish should always be applied in a separate room that is well filtered and ventilated. (and heated!) Now you don't want your computer in the fumes from some finishes (you never know what will eat plastic), but you otherwise want exactly the same environment for both.
If you want to use the computer in the main shop, start with a wide format printer so you can print your instructions off. (this can be in the house) Then consider a projector, through a window from the clean room to a wall elsewhere. Requires some forethought of how to place things so it will work, but otherwise useful. If not that, run an LCD through a wall. Use the cheapest keyboard you can find in the shop so you don't care when it goes.
Last, search rec.woodworking. (google groups used to be good for this) This subject has been brought up many times.
Slashdot Mirror
Back in the late '80s and early '90s every year was predicted to be the year that LANs finally exploded. Never happened. A few people here and there put in a LAN, but there was no massive explosion of installations. Then one day someone looked and low and behold everyone had a LAN.
Likewise the linux desktop will not explode overnight. Instead a few companies here and there will get sick of Windows, or need something special that Windows doesn't give, but linux allows them to write. Those companies will install linux. Perhaps not even all at once, just for the few people who need it. Slowly, slowly, slowly, linux will get better while it gets a few wins. Suddenly one day we will look back and see linux everywhere.
Of course on that day *BSD people like me will sigh and go on using our better OS that never gets any press... ;)
Its worse than you say. Even if the designer considers something, how do you go from seeing it to code, and still be done in reasonable time.
I have some obvious ideas to improve the AI on some open source games. I looked into the AI and quickly realized that humans can instantly process something that computers take a long time to figure out. You look at the map and think "Oh, there was someone in place X, but he isn't there, he must have the invisible suit on, but I know he only moves so fast, so there is only one logical place for him to be. Computers can do that, but even on todays computers it requires a lot of RAM and CPU time.
Thats just one example where a human can quickly see the solution, but can't write it into a good program.
I know more than one person who can get one tv station, and it is fuzzy. There is more snow than picture, but because everything is analog they can figure out what is going on.
Digital doesn't degrade that nicely. Either you get a perfect picture, or nothing. If you only see a little noise, than Digital is better than analog, but if you see a lot of noise, then analog is much better.
Who needs to read slashdot? Who needs a TV? Who needs electric lights? Who needs pets? Who needs a radio? Who needs books? Answer: nobody. You need the basics: food, clothing, and shelter. Everything else is a luxury that is nice to have.
Despite the ability to kill, guns are far less dangerous than things like cars.
What does that have to do with the argument? Ammo is very reliable. The only ammo I've had fail on me was due to my improper storage, and even most of that fired. I've had one gun fail on me, after many thousands of rounds, and it was a cheap model. People have shot ammo that is over 100 years old, and it works like brand new.
In short: the systems of our current guns are very reliable. Things do not break often.
There is nothing about current guns that you can get rid of with a smart gun. You change some (the safety is not electrical), but mostly you add parts that can fail. Care to consider the odds this so called smart gun will recognize me after 50 years on the shelf. This is a likely situation in the case of self defense guns. (though you should shoot it more often)
The city has power here, if they use it. Tell SBC in no uncertain terms that either high speed fiber is roller out to every home for and affordable price, or they loose rights to have their wire in the ground. The city can easily form a co-op to do phone service, and is likely to get better service if they do so.
Note that this is assuming the city is really running the numbers right. I've seen many cases where a city has installed something at great expense because it would pay for itself in the long run, and then nearly bankrupt when it didn't work out.
This should be the last resort because it is not a nice thing to do. So try all the other suggestions first.
A ham is allowed to use far more power on the 2.4Ghz band. Now there are limits to what you can do with this (which more or less exclude putting your AP on it). However as a licensed radio operators they must make sure their routers do not interfere with you when you are using your ham equipment!
A combination of cranking your power up, when they most want to use the net (shuts them off), and turning it way down othertimes until you cannot receive a signal because of their interference, and you can have the FCC shut them down.
Of course as a ham you need to check the laws closely. Make sure you are on the right side of everything.
I find it hard to believe the any country would be particularly interested in protecting spammers. Seems to me more like a case of the UK being helpful because they know their citizens are sick of spam and this will help rid the world of it.
I don't know if the UK is as strict about porn as the US, but I don't think it matters too much. I don't think they would consider this a porn issue.
I don't know if they make sales, but they do get people into your booth. As the salesmen at one company I used to work for discovered. The first day of the show nobody stopped at their booth, so they hired some booth babes figuring that they might as well have something to look at while they are bored. Because of the booth babes the booth was packed. I don't know if it caused any sales, but next time you see booth babes remember they are the salesmen's hedge against boredom in an empty booth, and not an attempt to get you there.
Red Hat employees a significant number of linux hackers. (Kernel, plus Gnome) When you buy Red Hat you get not only the support, you get someone who is working in general to make linux better.
I do not know my friends finances in detail. However I can make educated guesses because I know what they do, and about how much that job pays. (Some have left paystubs in my car when I gave them a ride) I know about howmuch their house way worth when they bought it. I have a pretty good idea what they paid for their cars, particularly if it is brand new. Do some simple math and I have a good idea of their ability to save money. I can see other things they It isn't hard to see who is living beyond their means, and who is not.
Those living beyond their means have designer clothes of the latest style. They have new cars. There is no way they can be saving money because the car payment and house payment is most of their income. Somehow they are also eating out often. Somehow they are buying clothing. Somehow they find money for other toys.
Those who are saving money are easy to tell: they do not drive new cars. They have no problem with Wal*mart clothes (or other discount retailer).
Since both of my senators are on their first term, and my representative is on his second (third?) term, I can't say they are long term incumbents, though I agree those who are in that situation need to start voting them out. I wasn't going to vote for my representative, except his opponent was truly awful and the third parties didn't have good options.
Don't forget the missing record angle. If these memos existed, they are missing now. Records of his service, if any, are also missing. Since he got an honerable discharge, I find it hard to believe these document ever existed. Without a time machine and a good invisibility suit we can't know for sure. Some of the people involved are dead.
McCain? Didn't he get his name on the Incumbent protection act? He clearly doesn't believe in freedom of speech when it could cost him re-election. Reason enough to not vote for him.
Google does have a monopoly on web searches, and Apple has a monopoly on HD based music players. There is nothing illegal or immoral about it. However if you have a monopoly it is illegal and immoral to do some things that would otherwise be normal competition.
Thus Apple perhaps should be forced to open up their iTunes music format to anyone. (though this is dependant on keeping the monopoly, since HD based music players are easy to make it is questionable if they can keep it in the long run)
I can't think of anything google is doing right now that a monopolist is not allowed, but they do need to be careful because when I discover that I will be against google.
You don't have to tell me. I have friends who are doing it. Well some are doing it, and others on more income are not. It is a matter of putting your priorities in order.
That is six months expenses, not six months of income! Unemployment insurance only covers you, if it is no fault of your own. Everyone makes mistakes, a large number of people will be fired at sometime in their life. (The smart will not admit it if they can help it, it looks bad) You don't need $40k, you need 6x your house payment, macaroni&cheese, plus heat. (and whatever else it takes to find a job, phone and internet today)
That savings is for any emergency. Insurance often takes while to pay, so you may end up using your emergency savings as the downpayment after the emergency, and then have insurance pay you back.
Many people would also count getting a good deal on a rare antique (of the type they collect) an emergency. So long as there is no other situation likely to happen soon, and you don't use the entire savings up, I'd count that. Just make sure you keep some savings, in case you need it.
It is often recommended that you split the savings into 6, 6 month CDs at the bank, one every month. This does conflict with the "antique" emergency but it is a good idea otherwise.
Note that if you expect to die soon, and have no dependants, this does not apply. You should always live life so that your last dollar is spent just minutes before you die. However I know more than one person who several years ago was down to 1 month to live, and they are still alive. Therefore this a goal, that cannot be achieved.
I'm well aware that most people do not live like me. (I fit the slashdot stereotype - unmarried, no kids, good job...) However that doesn't mean much. I've seen many people successfully save money while in worse situations from me.
Yes it can take a while to build up savings, that is not an excuse to not do so. I didn't mean that you should be able to gather 6 months savings in a week. It may take a while to save up, but you need to do it. I've seen people lose a high paying job, and not find something close. They learn suddenly how to live on much less income.
BTW, I myself fell into that situation. No raise for a couple years (cost cutting), before they finally closed down. I ended up working for 1/3rd my previous wage to make ends meet. This can happen to everyone, so you need to prepare. Excuses don't cut it, most people will lose their job sometime in their life.
My parents were never rich, but they knew how to save. Sometimes supper was little more than bread and water (it was always healthy and balanced, but sometimes it was really cheap), but they still put money in the bank. I never pretended saving money was easy, I only said you need to do it.
In the US it is illegal to send advertising to any caller pays service. So someone can SMS me an advertisement and I won't care because the net cost to me is $-499.90. (I pay $.10 for the SMS, and collect $500 in court) That doesn't include time, but it is still a good deal.
Frankly, I don't see why Europe puts up with their stupid plans. Sure incoming calls are free, but that means you have no clue what a call will cost, and you don't care what your provider charges. SMS is more popular in Europe because your screwed up system means that you cannot know what you will pay for a simple phone call. Here in the US I know exactly what I pay for a phone call to anyone in the US:$0.00. (I do pay a monthly fee, but that covers more time than I use).
Do you have any outdoor faucets? They are exposed to sunlight. How about windows in the basement, which can let sunlight in?
Modern farms are highly industrial, yet they almost universally have at least one outdoor faucet that is just a pipe sticking out of the ground.
Anytime I might be close to the limit I take my envelope to the post office. I've never had my federal forms go over the normal first class limit. Once my state forms did. (the state gets a copy of all federal forms, plus their own forms)
I trust the post office enough not to bother with certified mail. Most people do the same. Odds are in my favor.
Your 6 months expenses emergency savings can easily cover most of the emergencies you listed. You should have insurance for the rest. If you don't have 6 months expenses in the bank (not income, expenses) you need to cut back until you do. Not to mention if you credit is good you can finance any of the above.
That is emergency money, so you can use it in an emergency. People are just too interested in having every toy now that they forget to think about how to pay for it.
Only a very small number of poor people can use the excuse that they can't cut back. (In countries with a standard of living similar to the US)
For starters, just be friendly. IF you walk up one day and start ranting about Bush's big spending ways, or some such, you look like a kook. If during your weekly card game you respond to someone's comment about the difficulties of keeping a budget with a dig at Bush's big spending, you have made a point. Just start out as friends though.
I know of one profession that works lots of unpaid overtime: CXX (CEO, CFO, ...). That is the very top people in any company. Of course they have fit your profile of being rewarded for their hard work.
I make two, maybe three times as much money as I need for a comfortable life, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting less than I'm worth. If you want me to work long hours (for more than one critical week here and there) your in for a surprise : I don't care. I'll work long hours here and there when required. I'll work long hours when I'm "in the zone". I won't work long hours in general though, because I have a life outside of work. (though sometimes that life is nothing more than /. and kde, I'd get fired for either on company time)
First of all: Do not run cat-5 between buildings. Unless you have the ability to figure out and prevent ground loops, you are asking for trouble. Use either fiber or wireless. (or 10base5, if you can find it anymore, but shipping from eBay is likely to be more than other solutions)
Next, put the computer off your clean room. Cutting wood implies that you will be putting a finish on it latter, and finish should always be applied in a separate room that is well filtered and ventilated. (and heated!) Now you don't want your computer in the fumes from some finishes (you never know what will eat plastic), but you otherwise want exactly the same environment for both.
If you want to use the computer in the main shop, start with a wide format printer so you can print your instructions off. (this can be in the house) Then consider a projector, through a window from the clean room to a wall elsewhere. Requires some forethought of how to place things so it will work, but otherwise useful. If not that, run an LCD through a wall. Use the cheapest keyboard you can find in the shop so you don't care when it goes.
Last, search rec.woodworking. (google groups used to be good for this) This subject has been brought up many times.