The reality is that they are not. At all. What's needed is to get back to the basics; I know I'll get berated for this, but somehow the world's scientists and engineers up through the early 90s were educated enough without computers, IS, and such in their primary education. This here Intarweb came from guys who learned on slide-rules and pencil-and-paper... Boeing designed some pretty fine planes before the first engineers who touched a computer prior to college came into the market. And so on...
But this is/. and the reality is that any tech that is pushed considered a GOOD thing. Unless of course it's shown to be a failure, then everyone jumps to the other side saying yeah, it's not needed. Witness the laptops-for-students issue. 3 years ago, it was "of COURSE we should do it!" Now that the facts were reported about how unsuccessful it's been, it's "of COURSE we shouldn't do it!"
Sometimes people just like to blame technology - or the lack thereof - for social ills. When in fact it's society. It's being afraid to let ANYONE fail, so as a result we hold back everyone so no one succeeds.
I've said this before, but it bears repeating, and is a fundamental, direct-to-the-point issue from a teacher I had in high school (Dr. Elwell at O'Dea HS in Seattle): "I don't care if you learn or not; it's up to you to make that decision. Someone has to flip the burgers at McDonald's"
Technology isn't the cure, or the problem. It's a smokescreen. The problem is fear of any failure. Not everyone will be President, or a CEO, or a basketball star. Some will fail miserably, multiple times. Some will succeed beyond their wildest dreams. It's called the Right to the Pursuit of Happiness for a reason. The fear of failure of students - and the resulting light of incompetence that would shine on a good chunk of the public education racket today - is why we constantly hear about the need to upgrade technology, or need more money.
As a result, much of the education racket tries to push everyone towards college to pad the apparent success, to keep funds coming in by keeping the consumers - the parents - blind to the actual issues. And as a result you get colleges having to teach the basics to freshman students who really shouldn't be there.
If by the age of 16 little Johnny or Sally isn't pulling a GPA of 2.5 or better, then perhaps college isn't for them, and they should consider trade schools - mechanics, truck drivers, contractors, drafters, chefs, etc. can make a living wage. Or think about college 4-5 years after HS.
And for the record, I wend to a high school that had a 70 year old building with exposed knob-and-tube electricity, no computer lab until I was a senior (when we received 3 TRS-80s), 3 years of required math and philosophy/art, 4 years of required science, English, History, 2 years of required foreign language and physical education, and electives consisting of courses like drafting, 3rd or 4th year foreign language, typing, advanced math and the like. Basics, rote-memorization, drills over-and-over. With 10 year old textbooks, taught the same way by the Christian Brothers of Ireland for 40 years. And it worked quite well...
I live 8 months of the year in a suburb of Seattle, WA (the other 4 months are in China). It's Lifewise Health Plan of Washington, the WiseEssentials Plan with a $2500 deductible, and $20 copay on doctor visits.
The plan covers 2 checkups a year, $100 copay on emergency room visits, my choice of doctor, and runs $90/month. Do I get mental and chiropractic coverage? Nope. Does it allow me to drop in to my doctor for every little ache and pain with zero cost? Nope. But it does what insurance should - gives me a bit of a discount on a checkup every 6 months, and covers most of my costs in the event something serious should happen.
The deductible? An HSA I've funded over the last 2 years covers that. My money earns ~6% right now, tax-free. I've got enough in there to cover my $2500 deductible and the $1250 of the 50% copay on the next $2500 after that. Once built-up (payments into that plan are tax-free, too) I've just let it sit and accumulate. The interest pays for my copay for my checkups, at this point. So essentially - barring something serious - my healthcare is $90/month.
I use another plan for prescriptions, the name of which escapes me at the moment, and I don't have the card with me over here in Shanghai. That plan runs $30/month.
Cheap insurance is available if you're willing to look for it, and realistically consider what coverage you REALLY need. I'd really like to have a Bentley in the driveway, but in all actuality my Taurus does fine. Likewise it may be slick to have coverage that is 100% on every little thing with zero restrictions on any alternative/therapeutic/mental treatments you'd like to use, but being realistic can save you a whole heck of a lot.
I contract occasionally for some of the larger companies here in the Seattle area, and always turn down the optional health-coverage plan offered by the contracting agencies. It typically nets me $4-$5/hour more in direct pay. I'd rather shell out a direct $120/month (tax deductible, by the way) and earn an extra $500-$800/month in cash.
Psst... Got $120/month? You too can get health insurance AND prescription insurance. Really. The issue is people are too LAZY to actually shop around, and people in general tend to abuse their health insurance. Wake up with a twinge in the wrist, or a little tweak in the back? Off to the doctor!
Insurance companies are highly regulated, and rates are usually fixed by the government. The issue is people demanding MRIs for simple sprains, or requiring full chiropractic care when they simply pulled their back playing hoops over the weekend.
No, the greed isn't in the companies - in this case it's in the consumers. Consumers who want complete "take care of every little ache and pain with the best possible tools RIGHT NOW" at zero cost. Or who are even unwilling to pay less than they spend on car insurance...
If I had mod points you'd get as many as I could give you... Your comments are spot-on.
My mother was a single mom, 3 kids, no house. She worked 2 jobs, and I and my brother and sister worked since we were 10 (paper routes, then fast food, then a mover, whatever). I worked as a part-time janitor at my high school - a private Catholic school - to pay a good chunk of my own tuition. My grandparents - immigrants from Ireland and Germany - made sure we knuckled under when mom was working. No screwing around, playing, TV, radio until homework and chores were done AND approved.
Some of my high school friends did drop out of high school, and are working those menial jobs. And one is going back to college at night - already earned his GED - specifically because he doesn't want to still drive a delivery truck when he's 60.
I paid for my own college. I saved up and bought - and paid for - my own house. Personal responsibility goes a long way - as a high school teacher told my class one day, "Hey, if you don't want to learn, that's your choice. Someone's got to flip burgers at McDonald's". Stuck with me to today.
Now, I'm self-employed. No job to "cover" medical expenses. What to do! I'm 39, overweight, high stress job. Guess what - I shopped around, got a high deductible ($2500) insurance plan for $89/month. $30 co-pay for visits, 50% coverage on the second $2500, and 100% up to $3M. Basically I socked $4000 away into an HSA and my deductible and 50% coverage AND 4 visits a year are fully covered.
Prescriptions? Got a $29/month plan, gives me a $30 co-pay per prescription, flat.
I took personal responsibility and found a solution to health-care. For $120/month, I'm covered. If I have a headache, or my wrist feels funny when I wake up, I don't run to the doctor - I do what my grandparents did. Shake it off, if it sticks around for a few days then get it checked out.
TOO many people in the US use their health insurance not as insurance but as service; go in for any little ache and pain, check up on every little scrape, lil Johnny's got runny nose get him to the doctor immediately rather than "put a sweater on and stay inside today" that worked for me.
It's INSURANCE against big problems, not maintenance. I know it's a well-worn analogy, but the car insurance model works. You take care of your car's daily needs; use insurance for the big ticket issues. It can be done, people!
My take is people who whine about the "system" or "lack of coverage" really haven't done anything to actually SEE what the system offers, and what alternatives are out there. If you can afford car insurance, you can afford health insurance. Put down that latte a day and spend $120/month and get coverage.
Absolutely. Assuming a 15% efficiency for your panel, then in the Ontario area you'll get about 100W from a 1 square meter panel (because of the angle of incidence, it's less than the typical 150W you'd see). And during the winter, let's assume you get a good 8 hours of light (optimistic, I know...) So we have around 800Wh of power available per panel. Which is about 2.9 MJ of energy.
Assuming you have 15 cm of snow, at -10 deg C, that represents 2.5cm height of water at -10 deg C; this is 25 liters of water, so roughly 25 kg of water. We need to raise that water to 0 deg C to melt it, meaning we have to use (4.18 J/g/deg C) about 1 MJ.
Oh, and it takes ~330 Joules per gram to phase change from snow/ice at 0 deg C to water at 0 deg C, so that's another 8.25 MJ.
Add it all up, and we're talking 9.25 MJ Joules, or a little more than 3 times the power generated by the panel.
And of course, the actual panel output is considerably less for those other 16+ hours of the day...:)
I can see solar used in remote sunny areas where distributed power makes sense, like the SW US or much of Africa. For the Northern climes, where there is limited solar output during much of the year (snow, clouds, short days) I just don't think solar is viable. Better to pursue tidal, hydro, or wind. And of those, I'd prefer tidal or hydro because of it's always-available status. Wind is great when it's windy; otherwise it becomes a bit less useful...
As long as you're willing to admit it still costs the consumer $0.42/kWh - it's not "free money". Taxes pay for it, and the burden that it adds should not be hidden. If the consumers of Ontario want to pay for it, that's great - but making fallacious claims about the actual dollar cost is pretty misleading.
In the state of Washington where I usually live, public works pay sales tax on all materials purchased for the project. Of course, this allows the government to shift 8.9% of the public works budget to the general fund; in Washington gas taxes (we have the highest in the US) are supposed to be used for road projects only, but this represents a back-door way to take nearly 10% of those receipts and directly move them to the general budget.
I suspect Ontario is probably doing the same thing, and in this case it sounds like they'll be able to shift over $0.30/kWh consumed. Not a small amount...
I live (usually) in the Seattle area, and you're right - we have cheap "clean" power from hydro that was paid for by tax dollars. The Bonneville Power Adminstration operates lots of dams in the NW giving us lots of cheap power - a lot of which is sold to California, Oregon, and other states. I'd rather see investment in clean hydro or tidal than solar - at least the return is considerably less than $0.42/kWh.
It comes down to spending priorities, and I assume that Ontario is like most governments - seriously out of whack. Take care of the basic infrastructure first, then worry about adding art, free health care, etc. afterwards. When government says "we'll buy this NEW CLEAN POWER! at $0.42/kWh, but only charge you $0.10/kWh" you know something's up...
While I agree that its nice to see alternative generation being developed, you have to realize that those costs aren't what the consumer pays. Thats just the price they sell the power to the government for, its a rich subsidy for the power generators. The consumers don't pay anywhere near that, they pay the average market rate.
Glad to hear that the Province of Ontario no longer has ANY taxation of its citizens! Wonderful news - I'll move there immediately!
Oh wait, they still have to tax the population to pay for things like health, education, roads, power subsidies?
Somewhere this solar power plant is getting its $0.42/kWh, and if it's coming from the government, it's coming from your taxes. Essentially your tax dollars are funding this private company - you're paying $0.42/kWh minimum, whether it shows on your power bill or not.
I'd rather have the company directly bill me $0.42/kWh rather than the government collect it via taxes, because at least there isn't the typical middle-man/government-overhead charge tacked on, raising the actual cost even higher (probably closer to $0.50/kWh if the Province runs like most large governments).
No misunderstand the program. It isn't end-consumers who pay the $0.42/KWh, its the Province of Ontario, through the Ontario Power Authority. It simple gets pumped into the grid, and the consumers continue to pay the standard rate. The contract with the Province is good for 20 years.
Glad to hear that the Province of Ontario no longer has ANY taxation of its citizens! Wonderful news - I'll move there immediately!
Oh wait, they still have to tax the population to pay for things like health, education, roads, power subsidies?
Somewhere this solar power plant is getting its $0.42/kWh, and if it's coming from the government, it's coming from your taxes. Essentially your tax dollars are funding this private company - you're paying $0.42/kWh minimum, whether it shows on your power bill or not.
I'd rather have the company directly bill me $0.42/kWh rather than the government collect it via taxes, because at least there isn't the typical middle-man/government-overhead charge tacked on, raising the actual cost even higher (probably closer to $0.50/kWh if the Province runs like most large governments).
Oh, it'll stick... This is no different than many unions - including education unions and the Washington State Employees Unions - forcing all employees to join if you want a job. A job that should be open because it's for public employees. And even if you don't want to join, you still have to pay dues...
Bingo... Up until the mid 90s, a US patent was valid for 17 years from the date of issue, and sometimes actionable after that for infringements during the patent's validity.
Now it's 20 years from date of application plus any time the USPTO spent sitting on the patent, waiting to process it.
Oh, and I'm sure you're ALL FOR the ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that allows laws requiring proof of citizenship prior to registering to vote. Right? Or is that disenfranchisement, too?
1. I guess you didn't read what I said. I was there. I'm a witness.
Have you sent your documented proof to the State Attorney? Anything good enough to actually take to Court? Because barring that, all you have "witnessed" is a lot of whining over the phones, by your own account. You didn't "witness" anything - you HEARD about supposed problems.
I have yet to see one HARD FACT to support the Left's claim of disenfranchisement. Not one. Nothing that's gone to trial, nothing worth even filing charges. Meaning there's a lot of noise and hubris, and little else...
2. I guess you don't read much, or get around much
Oh, I get around plenty. Again, I see a lot of railing against disenfranchisement and the like, and I see ZERO actual facts other than hearsay and "well this person said they know someone..." Unlike HARD CASES where we have CONVICTIONS of Democrat operatives slashing tires, stuffing ballot boxes, buying votes with crack cocaine and the like.
3. Now tell me what proof you have that it didn't occur. That what I witnessed and what millions of people in Ohio witnessed didn't happen.
Nice illogical statement! Can't prove a negative. Besides, you're the one CLAIMING all this election malfeasance - YOU provide the proof. Barring that, it's just so much hot air...
4. How dare you let your partisanship excuse your misrepresenting the truth about something so important as the right to vote.
So far I see ZERO truth to your claims. None, nada. Your personal testimony is admittedly just "I heard over the phone of this problem". Hearsay.
On the other hand, we have documented CONVICTIONS of the Democrat party's election crimes. Here in Washington we have documented PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF of multiple votes, illegal/non-existent registrations, and a County (Democrat) election's office that "finds" votes weeks after the election "went the wrong way", just enough to swing it the other way. And a state DEMOCRAT-DOMINATED Legislature trying to make it illegal to provide this very proof...
No, sir, I offer that YOU are spitting on the graves of all who gave their lives for ou right to vote. Wild baseless claims with ZERO proof while ignoring the COLD HARD FACTS that just happen to go against your political bent...
Ah yes, the wonderfully progressive and liberal EU, now debating making it a crime to deny the Holocaust. If someone wants to be an idiot and deny something so well proven as the Holocaust, so be it - it shows they're an idiot..
I wonder if the next time Iranian President Ahmadinijad visits the EU he'll be arrested for his Holocaust denial. Probably not, that wouldn't be tolerant of his alternative world viewpoint...
Heck, they could even report positive real news stories like opening of new hospitals and power plants in Iraq, or expanded free trade - bidirectionally free trade - between the US and Chile. And on and on... Of course, that would paint the current Administration in a positive light, and we simply cannot have that...
I see these claims all the time, but EVERY TIME it's taken to court, or investigated by the media, there isn't ANY proof of disenfranchisement. On the other hand, we have CONVICTED Democrat party members sent to jail for slashing van tires, trading coke for votes. We have documented PROOF of election malfeasance and outright voter fraud in heavily Democratic Seattle and nary a peep from the media...
The approval rating argument just doesn't carry weight...afterall it was only a few years ago that the candidate with the highest approval rating in the actual polls lost the election in the US.
I assume you mean the actual polls - like election ballots and the Electoral College? The media polls really don't count, contrary to what many on the left side of the spectrum wish...
The issue transcends government laws. Imprisoning and torturing someone for having a different point of view is despicable no matter what the law on one piece of dirt says
I agree... I hope everyone will exhibit the same moral indignation against the EU who right now is debating making Holocaust denial a crime. If someone wants to be an idiot and deny it happened, that says a lot about that person. But governments stifling free speech is even more idiotic...
So condemn Microsoft for not providing information. Rally for Google who gives the Chinese government the same information as Yahoo... For now on/. Google is the White Knight, and "we" kick MS and Yahoo when they're down...
It's bad when American companies - like Yahoo! - abide by foreign laws and courts, releasing information as required by foreign governments.
It's good when American companies - like Microsoft - are sued because they do not abide by foreign laws and courts, and do not release information as required by foreign governments.
Just want to know what the heck the standard should be... I guess it depends upon who you are...
Oh, and for those who will come back and say "But it's RED CHINA!", I'm sitting in a factory in Dongguan right now, working with those same "evil Chinese"... Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to go grab a bit of breakfast, and schedule my flight back to Shanghai tomorrow.
Dude, this is Web 2.0. You gotta get with the new PARADIGM... It's not how BIG you are it's how fast you're growing! Hey, a 1000% growth in the last 3 years is nothing to sneeze at, never mind it's 10 people to 1000 people...
Remember, even if you lose a dollar a transaction, you'll make it up in volume!
Slashdot Mirror
But this is /. and the reality is that any tech that is pushed considered a GOOD thing. Unless of course it's shown to be a failure, then everyone jumps to the other side saying yeah, it's not needed. Witness the laptops-for-students issue. 3 years ago, it was "of COURSE we should do it!" Now that the facts were reported about how unsuccessful it's been, it's "of COURSE we shouldn't do it!"
Sometimes people just like to blame technology - or the lack thereof - for social ills. When in fact it's society. It's being afraid to let ANYONE fail, so as a result we hold back everyone so no one succeeds.
I've said this before, but it bears repeating, and is a fundamental, direct-to-the-point issue from a teacher I had in high school (Dr. Elwell at O'Dea HS in Seattle): "I don't care if you learn or not; it's up to you to make that decision. Someone has to flip the burgers at McDonald's"
Technology isn't the cure, or the problem. It's a smokescreen. The problem is fear of any failure. Not everyone will be President, or a CEO, or a basketball star. Some will fail miserably, multiple times. Some will succeed beyond their wildest dreams. It's called the Right to the Pursuit of Happiness for a reason. The fear of failure of students - and the resulting light of incompetence that would shine on a good chunk of the public education racket today - is why we constantly hear about the need to upgrade technology, or need more money.
As a result, much of the education racket tries to push everyone towards college to pad the apparent success, to keep funds coming in by keeping the consumers - the parents - blind to the actual issues. And as a result you get colleges having to teach the basics to freshman students who really shouldn't be there.
If by the age of 16 little Johnny or Sally isn't pulling a GPA of 2.5 or better, then perhaps college isn't for them, and they should consider trade schools - mechanics, truck drivers, contractors, drafters, chefs, etc. can make a living wage. Or think about college 4-5 years after HS.
And for the record, I wend to a high school that had a 70 year old building with exposed knob-and-tube electricity, no computer lab until I was a senior (when we received 3 TRS-80s), 3 years of required math and philosophy/art, 4 years of required science, English, History, 2 years of required foreign language and physical education, and electives consisting of courses like drafting, 3rd or 4th year foreign language, typing, advanced math and the like. Basics, rote-memorization, drills over-and-over. With 10 year old textbooks, taught the same way by the Christian Brothers of Ireland for 40 years. And it worked quite well...
The plan covers 2 checkups a year, $100 copay on emergency room visits, my choice of doctor, and runs $90/month. Do I get mental and chiropractic coverage? Nope. Does it allow me to drop in to my doctor for every little ache and pain with zero cost? Nope. But it does what insurance should - gives me a bit of a discount on a checkup every 6 months, and covers most of my costs in the event something serious should happen.
The deductible? An HSA I've funded over the last 2 years covers that. My money earns ~6% right now, tax-free. I've got enough in there to cover my $2500 deductible and the $1250 of the 50% copay on the next $2500 after that. Once built-up (payments into that plan are tax-free, too) I've just let it sit and accumulate. The interest pays for my copay for my checkups, at this point. So essentially - barring something serious - my healthcare is $90/month.
I use another plan for prescriptions, the name of which escapes me at the moment, and I don't have the card with me over here in Shanghai. That plan runs $30/month.
Cheap insurance is available if you're willing to look for it, and realistically consider what coverage you REALLY need. I'd really like to have a Bentley in the driveway, but in all actuality my Taurus does fine. Likewise it may be slick to have coverage that is 100% on every little thing with zero restrictions on any alternative/therapeutic/mental treatments you'd like to use, but being realistic can save you a whole heck of a lot.
I contract occasionally for some of the larger companies here in the Seattle area, and always turn down the optional health-coverage plan offered by the contracting agencies. It typically nets me $4-$5/hour more in direct pay. I'd rather shell out a direct $120/month (tax deductible, by the way) and earn an extra $500-$800/month in cash.
WHAT A WASTE OF GOOD ALCOHOL!
Insurance companies are highly regulated, and rates are usually fixed by the government. The issue is people demanding MRIs for simple sprains, or requiring full chiropractic care when they simply pulled their back playing hoops over the weekend.
No, the greed isn't in the companies - in this case it's in the consumers. Consumers who want complete "take care of every little ache and pain with the best possible tools RIGHT NOW" at zero cost. Or who are even unwilling to pay less than they spend on car insurance...
My mother was a single mom, 3 kids, no house. She worked 2 jobs, and I and my brother and sister worked since we were 10 (paper routes, then fast food, then a mover, whatever). I worked as a part-time janitor at my high school - a private Catholic school - to pay a good chunk of my own tuition. My grandparents - immigrants from Ireland and Germany - made sure we knuckled under when mom was working. No screwing around, playing, TV, radio until homework and chores were done AND approved.
Some of my high school friends did drop out of high school, and are working those menial jobs. And one is going back to college at night - already earned his GED - specifically because he doesn't want to still drive a delivery truck when he's 60.
I paid for my own college. I saved up and bought - and paid for - my own house. Personal responsibility goes a long way - as a high school teacher told my class one day, "Hey, if you don't want to learn, that's your choice. Someone's got to flip burgers at McDonald's". Stuck with me to today.
Now, I'm self-employed. No job to "cover" medical expenses. What to do! I'm 39, overweight, high stress job. Guess what - I shopped around, got a high deductible ($2500) insurance plan for $89/month. $30 co-pay for visits, 50% coverage on the second $2500, and 100% up to $3M. Basically I socked $4000 away into an HSA and my deductible and 50% coverage AND 4 visits a year are fully covered.
Prescriptions? Got a $29/month plan, gives me a $30 co-pay per prescription, flat.
I took personal responsibility and found a solution to health-care. For $120/month, I'm covered. If I have a headache, or my wrist feels funny when I wake up, I don't run to the doctor - I do what my grandparents did. Shake it off, if it sticks around for a few days then get it checked out.
TOO many people in the US use their health insurance not as insurance but as service; go in for any little ache and pain, check up on every little scrape, lil Johnny's got runny nose get him to the doctor immediately rather than "put a sweater on and stay inside today" that worked for me.
It's INSURANCE against big problems, not maintenance. I know it's a well-worn analogy, but the car insurance model works. You take care of your car's daily needs; use insurance for the big ticket issues. It can be done, people!
My take is people who whine about the "system" or "lack of coverage" really haven't done anything to actually SEE what the system offers, and what alternatives are out there. If you can afford car insurance, you can afford health insurance. Put down that latte a day and spend $120/month and get coverage.
They'd never buy it... Qantas knows that the average /.er gets out of the house about as often as Al Gore invents Internets...
At least it quit raining here - hopefully May Day will be nice!
Assuming you have 15 cm of snow, at -10 deg C, that represents 2.5cm height of water at -10 deg C; this is 25 liters of water, so roughly 25 kg of water. We need to raise that water to 0 deg C to melt it, meaning we have to use (4.18 J/g/deg C) about 1 MJ.
Oh, and it takes ~330 Joules per gram to phase change from snow/ice at 0 deg C to water at 0 deg C, so that's another 8.25 MJ.
Add it all up, and we're talking 9.25 MJ Joules, or a little more than 3 times the power generated by the panel.
And of course, the actual panel output is considerably less for those other 16+ hours of the day...:)
I can see solar used in remote sunny areas where distributed power makes sense, like the SW US or much of Africa. For the Northern climes, where there is limited solar output during much of the year (snow, clouds, short days) I just don't think solar is viable. Better to pursue tidal, hydro, or wind. And of those, I'd prefer tidal or hydro because of it's always-available status. Wind is great when it's windy; otherwise it becomes a bit less useful...
In the state of Washington where I usually live, public works pay sales tax on all materials purchased for the project. Of course, this allows the government to shift 8.9% of the public works budget to the general fund; in Washington gas taxes (we have the highest in the US) are supposed to be used for road projects only, but this represents a back-door way to take nearly 10% of those receipts and directly move them to the general budget.
I suspect Ontario is probably doing the same thing, and in this case it sounds like they'll be able to shift over $0.30/kWh consumed. Not a small amount...
I live (usually) in the Seattle area, and you're right - we have cheap "clean" power from hydro that was paid for by tax dollars. The Bonneville Power Adminstration operates lots of dams in the NW giving us lots of cheap power - a lot of which is sold to California, Oregon, and other states. I'd rather see investment in clean hydro or tidal than solar - at least the return is considerably less than $0.42/kWh.
It comes down to spending priorities, and I assume that Ontario is like most governments - seriously out of whack. Take care of the basic infrastructure first, then worry about adding art, free health care, etc. afterwards. When government says "we'll buy this NEW CLEAN POWER! at $0.42/kWh, but only charge you $0.10/kWh" you know something's up...
Glad to hear that the Province of Ontario no longer has ANY taxation of its citizens! Wonderful news - I'll move there immediately!
Oh wait, they still have to tax the population to pay for things like health, education, roads, power subsidies?
Somewhere this solar power plant is getting its $0.42/kWh, and if it's coming from the government, it's coming from your taxes. Essentially your tax dollars are funding this private company - you're paying $0.42/kWh minimum, whether it shows on your power bill or not.
I'd rather have the company directly bill me $0.42/kWh rather than the government collect it via taxes, because at least there isn't the typical middle-man/government-overhead charge tacked on, raising the actual cost even higher (probably closer to $0.50/kWh if the Province runs like most large governments).
Glad to hear that the Province of Ontario no longer has ANY taxation of its citizens! Wonderful news - I'll move there immediately!
Oh wait, they still have to tax the population to pay for things like health, education, roads, power subsidies?
Somewhere this solar power plant is getting its $0.42/kWh, and if it's coming from the government, it's coming from your taxes. Essentially your tax dollars are funding this private company - you're paying $0.42/kWh minimum, whether it shows on your power bill or not.
I'd rather have the company directly bill me $0.42/kWh rather than the government collect it via taxes, because at least there isn't the typical middle-man/government-overhead charge tacked on, raising the actual cost even higher (probably closer to $0.50/kWh if the Province runs like most large governments).
Oh, it'll stick... This is no different than many unions - including education unions and the Washington State Employees Unions - forcing all employees to join if you want a job. A job that should be open because it's for public employees. And even if you don't want to join, you still have to pay dues...
H. J. Simpson
Now it's 20 years from date of application plus any time the USPTO spent sitting on the patent, waiting to process it.
Slashdot?
Oh, and I'm sure you're ALL FOR the ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that allows laws requiring proof of citizenship prior to registering to vote. Right? Or is that disenfranchisement, too?
Have you sent your documented proof to the State Attorney? Anything good enough to actually take to Court? Because barring that, all you have "witnessed" is a lot of whining over the phones, by your own account. You didn't "witness" anything - you HEARD about supposed problems.
I have yet to see one HARD FACT to support the Left's claim of disenfranchisement. Not one. Nothing that's gone to trial, nothing worth even filing charges. Meaning there's a lot of noise and hubris, and little else...
2. I guess you don't read much, or get around much
Oh, I get around plenty. Again, I see a lot of railing against disenfranchisement and the like, and I see ZERO actual facts other than hearsay and "well this person said they know someone..." Unlike HARD CASES where we have CONVICTIONS of Democrat operatives slashing tires, stuffing ballot boxes, buying votes with crack cocaine and the like.
3. Now tell me what proof you have that it didn't occur. That what I witnessed and what millions of people in Ohio witnessed didn't happen.
Nice illogical statement! Can't prove a negative. Besides, you're the one CLAIMING all this election malfeasance - YOU provide the proof. Barring that, it's just so much hot air...
4. How dare you let your partisanship excuse your misrepresenting the truth about something so important as the right to vote.
So far I see ZERO truth to your claims. None, nada. Your personal testimony is admittedly just "I heard over the phone of this problem". Hearsay.
On the other hand, we have documented CONVICTIONS of the Democrat party's election crimes. Here in Washington we have documented PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF of multiple votes, illegal/non-existent registrations, and a County (Democrat) election's office that "finds" votes weeks after the election "went the wrong way", just enough to swing it the other way. And a state DEMOCRAT-DOMINATED Legislature trying to make it illegal to provide this very proof...
No, sir, I offer that YOU are spitting on the graves of all who gave their lives for ou right to vote. Wild baseless claims with ZERO proof while ignoring the COLD HARD FACTS that just happen to go against your political bent...
I wonder if the next time Iranian President Ahmadinijad visits the EU he'll be arrested for his Holocaust denial. Probably not, that wouldn't be tolerant of his alternative world viewpoint...
Heck, they could even report positive real news stories like opening of new hospitals and power plants in Iraq, or expanded free trade - bidirectionally free trade - between the US and Chile. And on and on... Of course, that would paint the current Administration in a positive light, and we simply cannot have that...
I see these claims all the time, but EVERY TIME it's taken to court, or investigated by the media, there isn't ANY proof of disenfranchisement. On the other hand, we have CONVICTED Democrat party members sent to jail for slashing van tires, trading coke for votes. We have documented PROOF of election malfeasance and outright voter fraud in heavily Democratic Seattle and nary a peep from the media...
I assume you mean the actual polls - like election ballots and the Electoral College? The media polls really don't count, contrary to what many on the left side of the spectrum wish...
I agree... I hope everyone will exhibit the same moral indignation against the EU who right now is debating making Holocaust denial a crime. If someone wants to be an idiot and deny it happened, that says a lot about that person. But governments stifling free speech is even more idiotic...
So condemn Microsoft for not providing information. Rally for Google who gives the Chinese government the same information as Yahoo... For now on /. Google is the White Knight, and "we" kick MS and Yahoo when they're down...
It's bad when American companies - like Yahoo! - abide by foreign laws and courts, releasing information as required by foreign governments.
It's good when American companies - like Microsoft - are sued because they do not abide by foreign laws and courts, and do not release information as required by foreign governments.
Just want to know what the heck the standard should be... I guess it depends upon who you are...
Oh, and for those who will come back and say "But it's RED CHINA!", I'm sitting in a factory in Dongguan right now, working with those same "evil Chinese"... Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to go grab a bit of breakfast, and schedule my flight back to Shanghai tomorrow.
Dang, I've got a couple of 9V batteries here on my desk you can use to run your city...:)
Yes, I know, bad EE, bad EE!
Remember, even if you lose a dollar a transaction, you'll make it up in volume!