You are missing that some of us do not just block ads but also block scripts of unknown origin and containing unknown code. Allowing untrusted code to run on your computer is sometimes going to lead to bad things happening. No, not always but often enough to where some of us have accepted that some of the web doesn't work for us.
Well, some of us have accepted it - others piss and moan. I just accept that Forbes doesn't work for me, notice the URL, and do not click on it. I'm okay with that. I read the comments and get the gist of it.
However, I don't think anyone has postulated that it is not possible. If they have, they're idiots. If they were complaining (and they were) it seemed as if they were complaining that it was stupid and too much effort to customize for one site or that they didn't want to (like I) allow the execution of scripts on their systems. Those are acceptable complaints, in my opinion.
Because Forbes is actively working to prevent access they shouldn't be linked. That's a viable suggestion and legitimate, in my view. No, you may not run executable code on my system without my permission. So, I don't use their site. Sites that are not easily accessed to everyone shouldn't be included. It's pretty simple really.
If you want to run around and let others run code on your box then go ahead. However, don't presume the rest of us are so keen on the idea. We've been cleaning up your messes for years and are tired of it and don't let it happen to us. Right after Forbes started this, they went right ahead and delivered malware from one of their scripts. You can find the salient link in the thread you're referencing. Slashdot subjecting us to those risks is just silly.
For those using Opera, Chrome, or Chromium (probably Vivaldi and others) just change http:/// to cache:// and you get to see the content, usually. I've tried it once or twice and it worked well enough.
When I suggested that people should reconsider supporting Obama, I was called a racist. I pointed out that he had very little actual experience and I was called a racist. I pointed out that he was pretty much only spouting platitudes without workable plans, I was called a racist. When I pointed out that he associated with people who weren't too keen on freedom, I was called a racist. When I suggested he'd continue those policies or do worse, I was called a racist. I pointed out that I am part black and I was ignored. Ah well... I'll be fine, no matter who you elect. I'd strongly suggest people take a better look at Bernie for this next election but nobody ever listens to me.
How can you be sure? Well, you could try measuring it and then weighing it. 'Snot really complicated. Tungsten, by volume, has a different weight than gold. That's why you're not in charge.
I can only suggest that you not take your limited exposure and extrapolate it to make assumptions based on everyone. That's not a very good method for drawing reasonable conclusions.
Having only your prior posts to base this on, I suspect you'll enjoy Cuba immensely. If you're fluent in Spanish then you'll be even more able to enjoy it.
Yeah, the insanity part of going to Cuba is, well, insane. I remember the Cold War, the Missile Crisis, and all that. I know from what it is based and, still, I look at it and it is silly. It reminds me of the insanity that is inherent in bureaucracy and I think the mental image of Vogons sums it up well enough.
Try a cigar, it won't kill you. Bring a few back for your friends, they're dirt cheap in Cuba.
As an automobile aficionado, I'm in love with the newer models and innovations. I don't understand those who deem themselves some type of purist or anything. I've what can only be called a "stable" full of varied vehicles - most of which would be scoffed at by a serious collector. I've spent absurd amounts of money acquiring and repairing them. One of my favorites is a 1982 Volvo 245. I sent it out to the West Coast to have it torn apart and rebuilt. It's like a tank and it has rear wheel drive - it's fantastic in a foot of snow and more fun than most people would imagine. I love my brick but most collectors would scoff at it.
That said, a Cuban vehicle would mostly be of value as a curio and not much more to most. As a geek you might marvel at it, how it somehow manages to still work, and the ingenuity that went into making it what it is. As a collector? I see no market for it. Maybe as art. There might be a buzz and a short-term market. I kind of doubt it but we'll see.
So, don't dawdle. Go, go with great speed and before they change! It's a great place and the people are awesome.
Absolutely, there are all sorts of ways to view and interpret both which is why I wondered if you might be familiar with it. You seem to (based on observing your comments) appreciate introspection. If you weren't familiar with it then I'd hoped you might find it. Seeing as you are familiar with it, well... I'm not surprised.
Oddly, I find myself revisiting it once a decade or so. I was first exposed to it in a literature class in high school. While the text hasn't changed one bit, my take away has changed nearly every time I've re-read it. Well, change is a strong word. Perhaps the best way to put it would be the emphasis on various aspects has changed.
I have no idea what you're trying to say. I'm quite aware of the facts surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. I don't think those are even debatable - being facts and all. Are you insinuating that Cuba would be a realistic threat today if they had nuclear weapons? I sense you're trying to say something but I'll be damned if I can suss it out.
I am in Florida, right this minute, and I just "yelled" to the missus who is in the bedroom. (I didn't have to yell, really.)
"Hey, will you look under the bed please?" *rustle rustle* "Umm, okay?" "Did you see a furry face with a groovy hat?" "No, why?"
I didn't answer so she'll meander out in a little bit to see what the hell I'm on about. She's used to it. At any rate, there's no Castro under my bed. I have visual confirmation. Perhaps if we can get *all* politicians to stop taking a hard line against Cuba then...
Hey, it could happen. Well, it could...
I am up in the panhandle though - not many Cubans up this way. I don't know but maybe we could stop letting small groups of people drive policy? I realize that minority voices need to be heard in order to prevent the tyranny of the masses but, frankly, foreign policy probably is not one of those things. If they want to take a hard line against Cuba (possibly a valid point) then maybe they can do so on a personal level?
Ah well... I suspect I'm bordering on preaching to the choir and that you're familiar with the details. I've always kind of held a soft spot for Cuba - even as a fairly patriotic American. It's the root for the underdog thing, I think. Getting to visit there was awesome and the place is much like I'd hoped it was. They seem to wear the Communist suit well enough, it fits them and they're mostly pretty happy. You don't need a guide or anything, you can meander around and talk to anyone you want. It's a pretty nice place.
I know you've had some replies but I'd like to add that you'd probably die up where my house is and I live in the US. Well, you might not die but you'd probably end up leaving - assuming you could.
I live in an unincorporated township, in NW Maine, many miles from a village, and a lot of miles for a real town, and hours from a city of any size. I can be in Canada quicker than I can be in a moderately sized town.
Yes, I retired there on purpose but I am cheating and wintering in Florida this year.
At any rate - I have backups for all of those things. In all actuality, the mains power is my backup. I've multiple ways to heat, cook, and store food. I have multiple food suppliers - though I prefer to grow, fish, or hunt for most of it. It's fun. But, yeah, you might die with that sort of thinking.
Yes, we lose a few people here every year to weather/temperature related causes. Usually they were unprepared for one reason or another. So long as you're prepared then it's not too bad. Most of us live in small villages, towns, and whatnot. It's easier in those places. I have solar, wind, two generators, underground diesel tanks, and grid power - for example. I don't just have a plow truck, I have a backup. I own a couple of snowmobiles should I need them. The list goes on.
I typed you out a giant wall of text and then I realized you probably wouldn't read it all. It was about the culture and the value of the automobiles as well as some details on how to get there before it is too late to bother going.
So, I'll redo it instead of sending you a reply that you won't read (and I don't blame you - I probably wouldn't read it all either.
However, right now you still can't go there strictly as a tourist. You can go, with permission, with some various regulations and anything can be considered "educational." The first time you go, get a guide. After that, guide yourself when you get back. That latter is only realistically possible if you are fluent in Spanish or willing to show that you're working really hard to learn it.
Basically, go to Mexico or Canada and fly from those destinations to Cuba. Put a piece of paper in your passport and have them stamp that (they don't care). Going to Cuba without permission is technically illegal still. Then just put the piece of paper away somewhere handy or discard it just before leaving. Cuba only stamps once per visit (or that's all they've ever stamped mine) but it's better to wait until the last moment - in case they should change their policy.
Cuban cigars are overrated. They are sweet and inconsistent. They are very well made. They are the best cigar at those prices.
Cuban rum is very underrated. It's what a Jamaican rum wants to be. It's nice enough to drink neat but fine with a splash of Coke or an ice cube.
You can only bring back $400 worth of stuff and that might seem like a problem. However, out of that $400 that you can bring back, only $100 worth of cigars can be brought home with you. They can only be used for personal use. Personal use, in this case, is pretty broad. Do not sell or barter any. It's not like they are able to effectively afford to everyone but I'd still recommend just sharing them unless you want to risk prison.
That might seem bad but you will be quite happy once you find out what $100 of Cuban cigars, purchased while in Cuba, is a whole bunch of cigars. I mean, that's a lot of cigars. The exchange rate is, as near as I can tell, pretty damned good. I expect this to change rapidly, in the middle of this year they'll start allowing plain old tourism. count as a reason for visiting. That's bound to beat up the exchange rate pretty hard.
Finally, the cars won't be worth a hell of a lot. You'll find mismatching body panels, wrong engine in the wrong car, a LADA bumper welded to the front, and a tractor engine from 1948. There is not one single vehicle that has even 70% of its original material. They might have a novelty value but that's going to get old quickly. There might be some value to the parts but it's going to be tough to actually figure out what those parts went to originally unless you're *very* skilled and can retain a huge amount of cars. They're not pristine cars or anything like that. Look a bit more carefully.
I think the first cruise to Cuba, from the US, in like 50 years means that gets to Cuba sometime in May or June. I'd not be surprised to see it all changed within a year and a half from that day. That's why I've been so seriously considering going to Mexico and flying out. I'd like to see it one more time before it changes too much.
Ah well, that's as concise as I can make it. I'm exhausted so I'm gonna snuggle up with the missus and the dog and see if I can't get some sleep. Sorry for typos or completely out of place words or punctuation.
You know, I want to say you're full of shit and making that whole thing up BUT, sadly, I've read Slashdot (and seen enough of your posts) to the point where that doesn't even really surprise me any more and I completely believe you. I am so glad that I owned the business and that we got started as early as we did but, more importantly, I'm so friggen happy that I sold and got out when I did.
This sort of stuff is just mind boggling. I don't even understand how that happens. The very first thing I did when I started was find smart people to help. Not just people who said they were smart but people that were actually smart. No, I couldn't have paid them in shares in the company nor would I have tried to. I got a tiny grant and ate Ramen noodles. (That and we had a rather nice contract coming in but if we'd failed to meet the goals in that contract, the penalties would have bankrupted me for life.)
How does that sort of shit even happen? Who the hell promoted this person? Why? Being there for a longer period than others is grounds for a raise - not a fucking promotion that you're unqualified for... I had a secretary who was with us since not long after the beginning. She was there longer than some of the programmers and there before we even had a DB admin. Maybe I should have promoted her to be a server admin?
Is that company still in business? Did they learn anything from this?
Me? I learned to hire smart people, reward them well, give them clear tasks, give them the tools they ask for, ask questions when I do not know, know when I do not know, and to get the hell out of the way so that they can do the job that I hired them to do. It was a little different for us. There weren't a whole bunch of traffic engineers that were into computers and exactly zero of them were fluent in modeling and working with data sets that large (it's actually like modeling a chaotic system with very large data sets). There were some transportation engineers but most of them worked in fleet management or with trains, ships, or planes - not exactly what I was needing. Then, finding someone who could be trained in one aspect or the other was hard.
Hell, I actually went so far, at one point, that I funded some research at a local university and poached the students and research assistants. I stole almost all of my tech employees. I had to. Sadly, I look at what a transportation engineer makes now and it's something like 80k as an average, when you get a few years under your belt, and I was paying them around $120k back in the 1990s. Of course, there are all sorts of companies that do it now. I did look out for the people who worked with me (not for, with) when I sold but most of them still work for the now parent company. I know damned well some of them can easily have retired quite some time ago.
Ah well... I've typed you a long enough novella. I just figured I'd ask if you had any more information or insight as well as share some alternative results. I'm really baffled at how these companies manage to stay open. I don't get it. Hell, my worst mistake was trying to micromanage and still trying to do a lot of the programming - even after I'd hired professionals. It took me a little bit to realize that doing so was stupid and it took a few comments from them to make me understand what they needed - even if they couldn't vocalize it properly. I hired them because I could not. Oddly, it took me a little while to put my ego aside and think it through. Fortunately, they were very good at their jobs and I made sure they were well compensated for their work. It's shameful that traffic engineers earn as little as they do now but, I guess, it is quite a bit easier now. Ho hum...
They also seem to think that the raising of prices of an *addictive* substance is somehow similar to others. I'd also be surprised if a good amount of that increase was not actually for taxes. I don't smoke cigarettes but I do smoke cigars. They had signs up in the shops that had the actual text of the tax increases that were being applied to tobacco products when this happened, I remember this quite clearly.
Ah well, he's a Mac fan - 'snot like you can trust him to be rational.;-)
Oddly enough, my cigars had very little change in pricing - and this is the important part - even though they were also included in the lawsuits. The taxes weren't raised on cigars or pipe tobacco. I sometimes enjoy a pipe but not very often and usually only when I drank did I smoke a pipe. The two go hand-in-hand for me and I don't drink any more (as a general rule - I sometimes allow myself to have two, but no more than two) so I don't really smoke a pipe much any more. I kind of miss it but it just feels awkward to not be sipping a whiskey or rum with an ice cube while smoking a pipe.
At any rate, the taxes did not go up, where I was, at that time. Cigarette prices had the giant increase. I think the taxes on cigars went up a nickel while the first tax increase on cigarettes (I was in NC at the time so it was pretty low compared to elsewhere) was $1.25/pack. The taxes on cigarettes is something like 75% of the price IIRC? I imagine I could look it up and it will vary by State but I'm just going off memory from what someone repeated in the tobacco store.
Meh, a quick Google indicates that the Federal tax is a little over $1 and the NY State tax is another $4.35 but Google indicates that's the highest. I think it's something like an additional $3.50 in Maine but I'm not a cigarette smoker so I don't really pay attention and I have done all the research I'm gonna do on this topic.
Ah well, hopefully he sees this reply. I'm kinda lazy tonight.
I don't want to give North Korea any credit here but we are, technically, still at war with Best Korea - sort of. The war is still at armistice stage and there is no formal treaty and the US will not sign a treaty at this point because of their nuke program.
However, we don't have a damned thing to worry about with Cuba - seriously. I know, I've said this in the thread already but there's literally nothing to worry about. Canada is more likely to wage war on the US than Cuba is. (They're also able to do more damage than Cuba can.)
And, again - seeing as you probably didn't see it, if you get the chance to go to Cuba then do not wait to be asked a second time - go. Jump on it. It is awesome, the people are awesome, and it's a fantastic place. I'm old enough to kind of remember the tension of the Missile Crisis (I was five, I think?) and then the continued propaganda about Cuba. Cuba's fine. They're kind of awesome, actually. There's someone professing to be from Cuba (or at least saying "we") but I don't think they're really Cuban or, if they are, they're trolling.
Cuba is, literally, harmless unless you go poking at them. Even then they're not going to be able to do a whole hell of a lot but you're completely safe unless you go poking at them.
Who the hell do you think you're fooling? Cuba's not even a toothless tiger, they're just toothless AND that's a good thing. You don't need to put on a brave face and be tough. I've been to Cuba, more than once even, and I loved it there. There's absolutely zero chance at Cuba doing a damned thing with it IF they even have it. The best thing they could do is just give it back. Better still, invite Obama down to come pick it up personally. It would be the most awesome diplomatic gesture ever.
Cuba's not even a danger to herself. They are, quite literally, harmless and that's fantastic. They're not a threat, they're not a threat to the US, they're not a threat to anyone else. They'd like to sell sugar and cigars (maybe some rum) at fair prices and be mostly left alone while getting to consume some different media. I kind of suspect that you're not actually *from* Cuba.
If you are from Cuba then there's a pretty good chance that I'll be there within the next few months but only for a week or so, I won't have time for much more than that. I'd very much like to have the time to return. It depends on how smoothly things go here and the new girlfriend hasn't ever been out of the country. I think Cuba would be a fine place for her to see first. I'm not sure why, if you're really from Cuba, you'd type such silliness on the 'net. It's not like some of us don't know better. You guys are pretty damned harmless unless someone goes there and starts screwing with you.
Giving the missile back would be a wonderful diplomatic move. Inviting someone to come retrieve it, maybe even doing something to prove it's not been tampered with, would be even better. It'd be awesome if Obama could be convinced to go pick it up. Don't worry, they've given up on trying to make Fidel's beard fall out and they won't poison his cigar.
Heh... You know it's fucking crazy talk if people are suggesting we've a reason to worry about Cuba.:/ I already posted enough but it's kind of silly to worry about Cuba and yes, yes I'm old enough to kind of, sort of, remember the Missile Crisis. They mostly just want to be left alone but they do want some of those soap operas and Spanish hip-hop type stuff. Oh, and translated copies of James Patterson. There's no accounting for taste. (Yes folks, that's what is on those USB thumb drives that they spread around. It's not something like plots to overthrow the government. They're actually kinda content with their government.)
Now that I think about it - it would be the coolest conspiracy ever. Why? Raul could just have it unopened, hit it with some tamper-evident tape, and give it back. That would really be one of the most awesome diplomatic moves ever. I don't think anyone really wants to maintain the embargo any more. Well, some grumpy old people in Florida but, for the most part, nobody really seems to give a shit any more and nobody should be seriously taking Cuba as a threat to anyone.
Now, this conspiracy is entirely unlikely but it would be awesome. If you seriously think Cuba is a threat to anyone then, well, I'm not sure what to tell you. They're not exactly going to be able to do a whole hell of a lot with a Hellfire. They are, literally, about as dangerous as a Teddy Ruxpin and Fidel's ancient and reminds me of a Furby. How is that not awesome? The people are reasonably content, healthy, educated, and aware of their situation on the planet. They really seem quite happy with it. The last thing they want to do is increase the tension levels at this point in life.
So, it'd be a great conspiracy but it's not very likely. It's about as likely as Fidel going on MTV to do the Jitterbug live with Mrs. Obama as his dancing partner. It's also just about as threatening.
What's sad is there are people who think Cuba is a legitimate threat. I am not a qualified political scientist but I have been to Cuba twice and enjoyed my visits. I'm also fairly familiar with Cuban history - as mentioned in a previous post, I'm quasi-fluent in Spanish which means I do well enough when I go. I'm also probably going to go back if I can get the missus her passport before I end up going back home - probably just for a week visit. I like it there.
There is zero chance, in my non-professional opinion, of Cuba doing fuck-all with this. I'd trust Cuba with nukes. Seriously, I'd trust them with nukes. All they want, from what I can tell, is to be mostly left alone and to get fair prices for their sugar and cigars as well as being able to access some modern media more easily. They know where they live. They know what the world is like. There's no major underground rebellion forming/formed to oust Raul, Fidel has to be near 90 now, and they don't live in the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea - they know what the world is like and are seemingly pretty damned happy where they are.
There is, literally, not one iota of worry about this. I'd expect them, if they have it, to simply offer the damned thing back. Just giving it back would be great diplomacy and be a rather nice gesture to make. Kind of like being the bigger man type of deal. It's Cuba... They're not dangerous or anything. If you get the chance to visit then go. Jump on it, don't wait to be asked twice. Just go. It's absolutely fantastic and the people there are some of the most realistic, genuine, decent folks on the planet.
I've been all over the place and, really, I'd probably consider moving there if they'd have me. I never looked into it as I assume they don't want me. I'm retired and all and I've got plenty of money but I think that would be why they wouldn't want me. I can understand and respect that. Still, it's one of the most enjoyable places that I've ever gone to, and that's saying something because the agent lied (or was mistaken) and I did not, in fact, have any 'net access at all at the hotel and absolutely no connectivity with my phone the last time I went. Yeah, I had no 'net and still enjoyed myself immensely.
Irrelevant, but I'll answer anyhow. They were not first. Sucks to be them but we don't all get to win the race. Not to mention, it's copyright - you can pretty easily get around it IF you're doing something that's new and (reasonably) original. If you're not then, well, sucks to be you. Come up with your own ideas instead of trying to deprive others of their rights. You'll notice the distinct lack of shortage of media and even software. If copyright were truly onerous we'd not have LibreOffice, AbiWord, OO.org, and Leafpad. It's not. There's still plenty of things to create, plenty of ways to do so without depriving others of their rights. Again, you're not entitled to anything you want just because you want it. Sorry, it doesn't work like that in a society that outlaws slavery.
Yes it is - in fact, it's created on inception. As soon as I post this, I have copyright. How does granting the privilege to withdraw a work promote progress? Ownership, it's a thing. Why create if you don't have ownership? When you refuse to give someone the fruits of their labor it is slavery. When you fail to compensate someone for the fruits of their labor, it is slavery. These are pretty basic concepts. It's called ownership and with ownership comes the ability to revoke access. Without complete and total ownership, including revocation, why not work? Ownership is complete - that's what ownership is. It promotes the arts and sciences because they're able to control it and thus decide how it's used, when it is used, and who gets to use it. See GPL for a good example of exercising ownership to ensure their will is met.
It is an enumerated right. Perhaps you have a funny definition of enumerated. I believe it is something like Article 1 that gives congress the right to make such a law and they have done so, justifiably so, albeit they need to lessen the duration.
I know where it's from - one follows the other. They were then listing rights that they have. Rights aren't given to you by the government. You already have them by grace of birth. Do you have to ask the government to breath? For the fruits of your labor? To think independent thoughts and not be forced to disclose them? Why not? Because you already have them - that's why they're enumerated, it's to make sure the government can't (without justification - such as public good) take them away. But, just because the Declaration had ended doesn't mean that the same process isn't carried through to the Constitution.
Do you say you only have the right to the freedom of speech because the government grants you that right? Of course not. You have that just for being human. It was up to Congress to set the regulations (and be able to adjust them as needed - which they've done poorly at) for copyright. That's why it's in there - because it is a right and something for them to do and to adjust as needed without having to amend the Constitution when it needs reworking because the process to get an amendment is pretty damned hard - and for a reason.
No, you have a right to the fruits of your labor. You own your labor and may control access to that. Anything else is slavery. If you want to argue for slavery then go ahead and do so. If you want to say that the law is currently fucking broken then we're in complete and total agreement.
Oh - I forgot to mention this earlier. I'm not entirely sure but I think the Chipmunks were in "night shirts" which are sometimes called "dresses" or "night dresses" though we've probably not called them that in a long time. At least not normal people. It looks comfy though. I'd so sport that out in public. I'm even moderately dark skinned - I bet I'd scare the shit out of people down here in Florida if I wore something like that.
The bastard regulation that we do have is horrific, that is true and not even something I'd bother debating. The right to the ownership of the fruits of one's labor, to maintain control of one's property, is an essential liberty. The ability to own it, to control it, even to revoke a
I should probably joke about you wearing a dress and worrying about your girlie hands.;-)
How does it promote it? It encourages people to produce stuff - that way they're assured of protections for it, for a limited time, and that they have a chance to profit on it if it is marketable.
The price is not one concern - it's their rights that you're infringing on. Obviously, it should be a much shorter time, by the way. It promotes the progress by giving enticement for people to create and invest in them. But you knew that.
Either way, we can just conclude that you're comfortable taking basic human rights away from people. The Constitution doesn't give you rights, it enumerates rights you already have (or should have). The only thing it does is stop infringing on your rights in certain areas. "We hold these truths to be self evident..." And here you are trying to justify violating someone's basic human rights... Sheesh indeed.
Also, concerning your other post... Someone needs to be cracked in the jaw for that. I'd suggest the mother start with her nosy neighbors and work her way up through the police and the district attorney. The kid was 120' away and in a gated community... Yeah, that's endangerment. Man, I'd have been in prison. I let my kids be kids. Meh, they turned out okay. If someone had kidnapped 'em, we'd have just built another one. (Only partially kidding.)
LXDE and Terminator as the terminal. Further up thread, I posted a link to a screen shot taken back before the holidays. Works for me. I'm not big on eye candy so much.
There's no option to set the time using the strftime format? Like %A %x? (Not a KDE user so not sure if such is enabled. It seems like it'd be something, somewhere, that you can set.) There's gotta be a config file somewhere...:/
I'm really quite partial to LXDE. I also kind of like Cinnamon which is a fork of Gnome IIRC. I don't do so well at keeping track of all that stuff.:/
However, I've tried a whole ton of them and I use LXDE. I made my own little dock that pops up when I mouse over the top of the screen. Meh, it works for me. Back before Christmas I took a screenie for someone, I forget who. I might as well share it anew.
I find it insanely fast on new hardware and still really fast on older hardware. That's a desktop that I remote into back in Maine - this one is a bit too messy to share. I tried to get as much into the screen to see as possible but I find it looks fine, does what I need it to do, and does it reasonably well. So, that's the one that works for me but I'm not really into fancy. I am a bit curious about LXQt, I'll be sure to try that at some point.
Slashdot Mirror
You are missing that some of us do not just block ads but also block scripts of unknown origin and containing unknown code. Allowing untrusted code to run on your computer is sometimes going to lead to bad things happening. No, not always but often enough to where some of us have accepted that some of the web doesn't work for us.
Well, some of us have accepted it - others piss and moan. I just accept that Forbes doesn't work for me, notice the URL, and do not click on it. I'm okay with that. I read the comments and get the gist of it.
However, I don't think anyone has postulated that it is not possible. If they have, they're idiots. If they were complaining (and they were) it seemed as if they were complaining that it was stupid and too much effort to customize for one site or that they didn't want to (like I) allow the execution of scripts on their systems. Those are acceptable complaints, in my opinion.
Because Forbes is actively working to prevent access they shouldn't be linked. That's a viable suggestion and legitimate, in my view. No, you may not run executable code on my system without my permission. So, I don't use their site. Sites that are not easily accessed to everyone shouldn't be included. It's pretty simple really.
If you want to run around and let others run code on your box then go ahead. However, don't presume the rest of us are so keen on the idea. We've been cleaning up your messes for years and are tired of it and don't let it happen to us. Right after Forbes started this, they went right ahead and delivered malware from one of their scripts. You can find the salient link in the thread you're referencing. Slashdot subjecting us to those risks is just silly.
For those using Opera, Chrome, or Chromium (probably Vivaldi and others) just change http:/// to cache:// and you get to see the content, usually. I've tried it once or twice and it worked well enough.
Well, that escalated quickly. ;-)
When I suggested that people should reconsider supporting Obama, I was called a racist. I pointed out that he had very little actual experience and I was called a racist. I pointed out that he was pretty much only spouting platitudes without workable plans, I was called a racist. When I pointed out that he associated with people who weren't too keen on freedom, I was called a racist. When I suggested he'd continue those policies or do worse, I was called a racist. I pointed out that I am part black and I was ignored. Ah well... I'll be fine, no matter who you elect. I'd strongly suggest people take a better look at Bernie for this next election but nobody ever listens to me.
How can you be sure? Well, you could try measuring it and then weighing it. 'Snot really complicated. Tungsten, by volume, has a different weight than gold. That's why you're not in charge.
Absolutely. You, and your business, should do exactly that.
I can only suggest that you not take your limited exposure and extrapolate it to make assumptions based on everyone. That's not a very good method for drawing reasonable conclusions.
Having only your prior posts to base this on, I suspect you'll enjoy Cuba immensely. If you're fluent in Spanish then you'll be even more able to enjoy it.
Yeah, the insanity part of going to Cuba is, well, insane. I remember the Cold War, the Missile Crisis, and all that. I know from what it is based and, still, I look at it and it is silly. It reminds me of the insanity that is inherent in bureaucracy and I think the mental image of Vogons sums it up well enough.
Try a cigar, it won't kill you. Bring a few back for your friends, they're dirt cheap in Cuba.
As an automobile aficionado, I'm in love with the newer models and innovations. I don't understand those who deem themselves some type of purist or anything. I've what can only be called a "stable" full of varied vehicles - most of which would be scoffed at by a serious collector. I've spent absurd amounts of money acquiring and repairing them. One of my favorites is a 1982 Volvo 245. I sent it out to the West Coast to have it torn apart and rebuilt. It's like a tank and it has rear wheel drive - it's fantastic in a foot of snow and more fun than most people would imagine. I love my brick but most collectors would scoff at it.
That said, a Cuban vehicle would mostly be of value as a curio and not much more to most. As a geek you might marvel at it, how it somehow manages to still work, and the ingenuity that went into making it what it is. As a collector? I see no market for it. Maybe as art. There might be a buzz and a short-term market. I kind of doubt it but we'll see.
So, don't dawdle. Go, go with great speed and before they change! It's a great place and the people are awesome.
Absolutely, there are all sorts of ways to view and interpret both which is why I wondered if you might be familiar with it. You seem to (based on observing your comments) appreciate introspection. If you weren't familiar with it then I'd hoped you might find it. Seeing as you are familiar with it, well... I'm not surprised.
Oddly, I find myself revisiting it once a decade or so. I was first exposed to it in a literature class in high school. While the text hasn't changed one bit, my take away has changed nearly every time I've re-read it. Well, change is a strong word. Perhaps the best way to put it would be the emphasis on various aspects has changed.
I have no idea what you're trying to say. I'm quite aware of the facts surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. I don't think those are even debatable - being facts and all. Are you insinuating that Cuba would be a realistic threat today if they had nuclear weapons? I sense you're trying to say something but I'll be damned if I can suss it out.
I am in Florida, right this minute, and I just "yelled" to the missus who is in the bedroom. (I didn't have to yell, really.)
"Hey, will you look under the bed please?"
*rustle rustle* "Umm, okay?"
"Did you see a furry face with a groovy hat?"
"No, why?"
I didn't answer so she'll meander out in a little bit to see what the hell I'm on about. She's used to it. At any rate, there's no Castro under my bed. I have visual confirmation. Perhaps if we can get *all* politicians to stop taking a hard line against Cuba then...
Hey, it could happen. Well, it could...
I am up in the panhandle though - not many Cubans up this way. I don't know but maybe we could stop letting small groups of people drive policy? I realize that minority voices need to be heard in order to prevent the tyranny of the masses but, frankly, foreign policy probably is not one of those things. If they want to take a hard line against Cuba (possibly a valid point) then maybe they can do so on a personal level?
Ah well... I suspect I'm bordering on preaching to the choir and that you're familiar with the details. I've always kind of held a soft spot for Cuba - even as a fairly patriotic American. It's the root for the underdog thing, I think. Getting to visit there was awesome and the place is much like I'd hoped it was. They seem to wear the Communist suit well enough, it fits them and they're mostly pretty happy. You don't need a guide or anything, you can meander around and talk to anyone you want. It's a pretty nice place.
That's cute. Stupid, but cute. I'm an "ultraconservative?" Tell me now, how did you reach that conclusion?
I know you've had some replies but I'd like to add that you'd probably die up where my house is and I live in the US. Well, you might not die but you'd probably end up leaving - assuming you could.
I live in an unincorporated township, in NW Maine, many miles from a village, and a lot of miles for a real town, and hours from a city of any size. I can be in Canada quicker than I can be in a moderately sized town.
Yes, I retired there on purpose but I am cheating and wintering in Florida this year.
At any rate - I have backups for all of those things. In all actuality, the mains power is my backup. I've multiple ways to heat, cook, and store food. I have multiple food suppliers - though I prefer to grow, fish, or hunt for most of it. It's fun. But, yeah, you might die with that sort of thinking.
Yes, we lose a few people here every year to weather/temperature related causes. Usually they were unprepared for one reason or another. So long as you're prepared then it's not too bad. Most of us live in small villages, towns, and whatnot. It's easier in those places. I have solar, wind, two generators, underground diesel tanks, and grid power - for example. I don't just have a plow truck, I have a backup. I own a couple of snowmobiles should I need them. The list goes on.
I typed you out a giant wall of text and then I realized you probably wouldn't read it all. It was about the culture and the value of the automobiles as well as some details on how to get there before it is too late to bother going.
So, I'll redo it instead of sending you a reply that you won't read (and I don't blame you - I probably wouldn't read it all either.
However, right now you still can't go there strictly as a tourist. You can go, with permission, with some various regulations and anything can be considered "educational." The first time you go, get a guide. After that, guide yourself when you get back. That latter is only realistically possible if you are fluent in Spanish or willing to show that you're working really hard to learn it.
Basically, go to Mexico or Canada and fly from those destinations to Cuba. Put a piece of paper in your passport and have them stamp that (they don't care). Going to Cuba without permission is technically illegal still. Then just put the piece of paper away somewhere handy or discard it just before leaving. Cuba only stamps once per visit (or that's all they've ever stamped mine) but it's better to wait until the last moment - in case they should change their policy.
Cuban cigars are overrated. They are sweet and inconsistent. They are very well made. They are the best cigar at those prices.
Cuban rum is very underrated. It's what a Jamaican rum wants to be. It's nice enough to drink neat but fine with a splash of Coke or an ice cube.
You can only bring back $400 worth of stuff and that might seem like a problem. However, out of that $400 that you can bring back, only $100 worth of cigars can be brought home with you. They can only be used for personal use. Personal use, in this case, is pretty broad. Do not sell or barter any. It's not like they are able to effectively afford to everyone but I'd still recommend just sharing them unless you want to risk prison.
That might seem bad but you will be quite happy once you find out what $100 of Cuban cigars, purchased while in Cuba, is a whole bunch of cigars. I mean, that's a lot of cigars. The exchange rate is, as near as I can tell, pretty damned good. I expect this to change rapidly, in the middle of this year they'll start allowing plain old tourism. count as a reason for visiting. That's bound to beat up the exchange rate pretty hard.
Finally, the cars won't be worth a hell of a lot. You'll find mismatching body panels, wrong engine in the wrong car, a LADA bumper welded to the front, and a tractor engine from 1948. There is not one single vehicle that has even 70% of its original material. They might have a novelty value but that's going to get old quickly. There might be some value to the parts but it's going to be tough to actually figure out what those parts went to originally unless you're *very* skilled and can retain a huge amount of cars. They're not pristine cars or anything like that. Look a bit more carefully.
I think the first cruise to Cuba, from the US, in like 50 years means that gets to Cuba sometime in May or June. I'd not be surprised to see it all changed within a year and a half from that day. That's why I've been so seriously considering going to Mexico and flying out. I'd like to see it one more time before it changes too much.
Ah well, that's as concise as I can make it. I'm exhausted so I'm gonna snuggle up with the missus and the dog and see if I can't get some sleep. Sorry for typos or completely out of place words or punctuation.
You know, I want to say you're full of shit and making that whole thing up BUT, sadly, I've read Slashdot (and seen enough of your posts) to the point where that doesn't even really surprise me any more and I completely believe you. I am so glad that I owned the business and that we got started as early as we did but, more importantly, I'm so friggen happy that I sold and got out when I did.
This sort of stuff is just mind boggling. I don't even understand how that happens. The very first thing I did when I started was find smart people to help. Not just people who said they were smart but people that were actually smart. No, I couldn't have paid them in shares in the company nor would I have tried to. I got a tiny grant and ate Ramen noodles. (That and we had a rather nice contract coming in but if we'd failed to meet the goals in that contract, the penalties would have bankrupted me for life.)
How does that sort of shit even happen? Who the hell promoted this person? Why? Being there for a longer period than others is grounds for a raise - not a fucking promotion that you're unqualified for... I had a secretary who was with us since not long after the beginning. She was there longer than some of the programmers and there before we even had a DB admin. Maybe I should have promoted her to be a server admin?
Is that company still in business? Did they learn anything from this?
Me? I learned to hire smart people, reward them well, give them clear tasks, give them the tools they ask for, ask questions when I do not know, know when I do not know, and to get the hell out of the way so that they can do the job that I hired them to do. It was a little different for us. There weren't a whole bunch of traffic engineers that were into computers and exactly zero of them were fluent in modeling and working with data sets that large (it's actually like modeling a chaotic system with very large data sets). There were some transportation engineers but most of them worked in fleet management or with trains, ships, or planes - not exactly what I was needing. Then, finding someone who could be trained in one aspect or the other was hard.
Hell, I actually went so far, at one point, that I funded some research at a local university and poached the students and research assistants. I stole almost all of my tech employees. I had to. Sadly, I look at what a transportation engineer makes now and it's something like 80k as an average, when you get a few years under your belt, and I was paying them around $120k back in the 1990s. Of course, there are all sorts of companies that do it now. I did look out for the people who worked with me (not for, with) when I sold but most of them still work for the now parent company. I know damned well some of them can easily have retired quite some time ago.
Ah well... I've typed you a long enough novella. I just figured I'd ask if you had any more information or insight as well as share some alternative results. I'm really baffled at how these companies manage to stay open. I don't get it. Hell, my worst mistake was trying to micromanage and still trying to do a lot of the programming - even after I'd hired professionals. It took me a little bit to realize that doing so was stupid and it took a few comments from them to make me understand what they needed - even if they couldn't vocalize it properly. I hired them because I could not. Oddly, it took me a little while to put my ego aside and think it through. Fortunately, they were very good at their jobs and I made sure they were well compensated for their work. It's shameful that traffic engineers earn as little as they do now but, I guess, it is quite a bit easier now. Ho hum...
They also seem to think that the raising of prices of an *addictive* substance is somehow similar to others. I'd also be surprised if a good amount of that increase was not actually for taxes. I don't smoke cigarettes but I do smoke cigars. They had signs up in the shops that had the actual text of the tax increases that were being applied to tobacco products when this happened, I remember this quite clearly.
Ah well, he's a Mac fan - 'snot like you can trust him to be rational. ;-)
Oddly enough, my cigars had very little change in pricing - and this is the important part - even though they were also included in the lawsuits. The taxes weren't raised on cigars or pipe tobacco. I sometimes enjoy a pipe but not very often and usually only when I drank did I smoke a pipe. The two go hand-in-hand for me and I don't drink any more (as a general rule - I sometimes allow myself to have two, but no more than two) so I don't really smoke a pipe much any more. I kind of miss it but it just feels awkward to not be sipping a whiskey or rum with an ice cube while smoking a pipe.
At any rate, the taxes did not go up, where I was, at that time. Cigarette prices had the giant increase. I think the taxes on cigars went up a nickel while the first tax increase on cigarettes (I was in NC at the time so it was pretty low compared to elsewhere) was $1.25/pack. The taxes on cigarettes is something like 75% of the price IIRC? I imagine I could look it up and it will vary by State but I'm just going off memory from what someone repeated in the tobacco store.
Meh, a quick Google indicates that the Federal tax is a little over $1 and the NY State tax is another $4.35 but Google indicates that's the highest. I think it's something like an additional $3.50 in Maine but I'm not a cigarette smoker so I don't really pay attention and I have done all the research I'm gonna do on this topic.
Ah well, hopefully he sees this reply. I'm kinda lazy tonight.
I don't want to give North Korea any credit here but we are, technically, still at war with Best Korea - sort of. The war is still at armistice stage and there is no formal treaty and the US will not sign a treaty at this point because of their nuke program.
However, we don't have a damned thing to worry about with Cuba - seriously. I know, I've said this in the thread already but there's literally nothing to worry about. Canada is more likely to wage war on the US than Cuba is. (They're also able to do more damage than Cuba can.)
And, again - seeing as you probably didn't see it, if you get the chance to go to Cuba then do not wait to be asked a second time - go. Jump on it. It is awesome, the people are awesome, and it's a fantastic place. I'm old enough to kind of remember the tension of the Missile Crisis (I was five, I think?) and then the continued propaganda about Cuba. Cuba's fine. They're kind of awesome, actually. There's someone professing to be from Cuba (or at least saying "we") but I don't think they're really Cuban or, if they are, they're trolling.
Cuba is, literally, harmless unless you go poking at them. Even then they're not going to be able to do a whole hell of a lot but you're completely safe unless you go poking at them.
Who the hell do you think you're fooling? Cuba's not even a toothless tiger, they're just toothless AND that's a good thing. You don't need to put on a brave face and be tough. I've been to Cuba, more than once even, and I loved it there. There's absolutely zero chance at Cuba doing a damned thing with it IF they even have it. The best thing they could do is just give it back. Better still, invite Obama down to come pick it up personally. It would be the most awesome diplomatic gesture ever.
Cuba's not even a danger to herself. They are, quite literally, harmless and that's fantastic. They're not a threat, they're not a threat to the US, they're not a threat to anyone else. They'd like to sell sugar and cigars (maybe some rum) at fair prices and be mostly left alone while getting to consume some different media. I kind of suspect that you're not actually *from* Cuba.
If you are from Cuba then there's a pretty good chance that I'll be there within the next few months but only for a week or so, I won't have time for much more than that. I'd very much like to have the time to return. It depends on how smoothly things go here and the new girlfriend hasn't ever been out of the country. I think Cuba would be a fine place for her to see first. I'm not sure why, if you're really from Cuba, you'd type such silliness on the 'net. It's not like some of us don't know better. You guys are pretty damned harmless unless someone goes there and starts screwing with you.
Giving the missile back would be a wonderful diplomatic move. Inviting someone to come retrieve it, maybe even doing something to prove it's not been tampered with, would be even better. It'd be awesome if Obama could be convinced to go pick it up. Don't worry, they've given up on trying to make Fidel's beard fall out and they won't poison his cigar.
Cuba is not North Korea and we know it.
Heh... You know it's fucking crazy talk if people are suggesting we've a reason to worry about Cuba. :/ I already posted enough but it's kind of silly to worry about Cuba and yes, yes I'm old enough to kind of, sort of, remember the Missile Crisis. They mostly just want to be left alone but they do want some of those soap operas and Spanish hip-hop type stuff. Oh, and translated copies of James Patterson. There's no accounting for taste. (Yes folks, that's what is on those USB thumb drives that they spread around. It's not something like plots to overthrow the government. They're actually kinda content with their government.)
Now that I think about it - it would be the coolest conspiracy ever. Why? Raul could just have it unopened, hit it with some tamper-evident tape, and give it back. That would really be one of the most awesome diplomatic moves ever. I don't think anyone really wants to maintain the embargo any more. Well, some grumpy old people in Florida but, for the most part, nobody really seems to give a shit any more and nobody should be seriously taking Cuba as a threat to anyone.
Now, this conspiracy is entirely unlikely but it would be awesome. If you seriously think Cuba is a threat to anyone then, well, I'm not sure what to tell you. They're not exactly going to be able to do a whole hell of a lot with a Hellfire. They are, literally, about as dangerous as a Teddy Ruxpin and Fidel's ancient and reminds me of a Furby. How is that not awesome? The people are reasonably content, healthy, educated, and aware of their situation on the planet. They really seem quite happy with it. The last thing they want to do is increase the tension levels at this point in life.
So, it'd be a great conspiracy but it's not very likely. It's about as likely as Fidel going on MTV to do the Jitterbug live with Mrs. Obama as his dancing partner. It's also just about as threatening.
What's sad is there are people who think Cuba is a legitimate threat. I am not a qualified political scientist but I have been to Cuba twice and enjoyed my visits. I'm also fairly familiar with Cuban history - as mentioned in a previous post, I'm quasi-fluent in Spanish which means I do well enough when I go. I'm also probably going to go back if I can get the missus her passport before I end up going back home - probably just for a week visit. I like it there.
There is zero chance, in my non-professional opinion, of Cuba doing fuck-all with this. I'd trust Cuba with nukes. Seriously, I'd trust them with nukes. All they want, from what I can tell, is to be mostly left alone and to get fair prices for their sugar and cigars as well as being able to access some modern media more easily. They know where they live. They know what the world is like. There's no major underground rebellion forming/formed to oust Raul, Fidel has to be near 90 now, and they don't live in the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea - they know what the world is like and are seemingly pretty damned happy where they are.
There is, literally, not one iota of worry about this. I'd expect them, if they have it, to simply offer the damned thing back. Just giving it back would be great diplomacy and be a rather nice gesture to make. Kind of like being the bigger man type of deal. It's Cuba... They're not dangerous or anything. If you get the chance to visit then go. Jump on it, don't wait to be asked twice. Just go. It's absolutely fantastic and the people there are some of the most realistic, genuine, decent folks on the planet.
I've been all over the place and, really, I'd probably consider moving there if they'd have me. I never looked into it as I assume they don't want me. I'm retired and all and I've got plenty of money but I think that would be why they wouldn't want me. I can understand and respect that. Still, it's one of the most enjoyable places that I've ever gone to, and that's saying something because the agent lied (or was mistaken) and I did not, in fact, have any 'net access at all at the hotel and absolutely no connectivity with my phone the last time I went. Yeah, I had no 'net and still enjoyed myself immensely.
In order...
Irrelevant, but I'll answer anyhow. They were not first. Sucks to be them but we don't all get to win the race. Not to mention, it's copyright - you can pretty easily get around it IF you're doing something that's new and (reasonably) original. If you're not then, well, sucks to be you. Come up with your own ideas instead of trying to deprive others of their rights. You'll notice the distinct lack of shortage of media and even software. If copyright were truly onerous we'd not have LibreOffice, AbiWord, OO.org, and Leafpad. It's not. There's still plenty of things to create, plenty of ways to do so without depriving others of their rights. Again, you're not entitled to anything you want just because you want it. Sorry, it doesn't work like that in a society that outlaws slavery.
Yes it is - in fact, it's created on inception. As soon as I post this, I have copyright. How does granting the privilege to withdraw a work promote progress? Ownership, it's a thing. Why create if you don't have ownership? When you refuse to give someone the fruits of their labor it is slavery. When you fail to compensate someone for the fruits of their labor, it is slavery. These are pretty basic concepts. It's called ownership and with ownership comes the ability to revoke access. Without complete and total ownership, including revocation, why not work? Ownership is complete - that's what ownership is. It promotes the arts and sciences because they're able to control it and thus decide how it's used, when it is used, and who gets to use it. See GPL for a good example of exercising ownership to ensure their will is met.
It is an enumerated right. Perhaps you have a funny definition of enumerated. I believe it is something like Article 1 that gives congress the right to make such a law and they have done so, justifiably so, albeit they need to lessen the duration.
I know where it's from - one follows the other. They were then listing rights that they have. Rights aren't given to you by the government. You already have them by grace of birth. Do you have to ask the government to breath? For the fruits of your labor? To think independent thoughts and not be forced to disclose them? Why not? Because you already have them - that's why they're enumerated, it's to make sure the government can't (without justification - such as public good) take them away. But, just because the Declaration had ended doesn't mean that the same process isn't carried through to the Constitution.
Do you say you only have the right to the freedom of speech because the government grants you that right? Of course not. You have that just for being human. It was up to Congress to set the regulations (and be able to adjust them as needed - which they've done poorly at) for copyright. That's why it's in there - because it is a right and something for them to do and to adjust as needed without having to amend the Constitution when it needs reworking because the process to get an amendment is pretty damned hard - and for a reason.
No, you have a right to the fruits of your labor. You own your labor and may control access to that. Anything else is slavery. If you want to argue for slavery then go ahead and do so. If you want to say that the law is currently fucking broken then we're in complete and total agreement.
Oh - I forgot to mention this earlier. I'm not entirely sure but I think the Chipmunks were in "night shirts" which are sometimes called "dresses" or "night dresses" though we've probably not called them that in a long time. At least not normal people. It looks comfy though. I'd so sport that out in public. I'm even moderately dark skinned - I bet I'd scare the shit out of people down here in Florida if I wore something like that.
The bastard regulation that we do have is horrific, that is true and not even something I'd bother debating. The right to the ownership of the fruits of one's labor, to maintain control of one's property, is an essential liberty. The ability to own it, to control it, even to revoke a
I should probably joke about you wearing a dress and worrying about your girlie hands. ;-)
How does it promote it? It encourages people to produce stuff - that way they're assured of protections for it, for a limited time, and that they have a chance to profit on it if it is marketable.
The price is not one concern - it's their rights that you're infringing on. Obviously, it should be a much shorter time, by the way. It promotes the progress by giving enticement for people to create and invest in them. But you knew that.
Either way, we can just conclude that you're comfortable taking basic human rights away from people. The Constitution doesn't give you rights, it enumerates rights you already have (or should have). The only thing it does is stop infringing on your rights in certain areas. "We hold these truths to be self evident..." And here you are trying to justify violating someone's basic human rights... Sheesh indeed.
Also, concerning your other post... Someone needs to be cracked in the jaw for that. I'd suggest the mother start with her nosy neighbors and work her way up through the police and the district attorney. The kid was 120' away and in a gated community... Yeah, that's endangerment. Man, I'd have been in prison. I let my kids be kids. Meh, they turned out okay. If someone had kidnapped 'em, we'd have just built another one. (Only partially kidding.)
LXDE and Terminator as the terminal. Further up thread, I posted a link to a screen shot taken back before the holidays. Works for me. I'm not big on eye candy so much.
There's no option to set the time using the strftime format? Like %A %x? (Not a KDE user so not sure if such is enabled. It seems like it'd be something, somewhere, that you can set.) There's gotta be a config file somewhere... :/
I'm really quite partial to LXDE. I also kind of like Cinnamon which is a fork of Gnome IIRC. I don't do so well at keeping track of all that stuff. :/
However, I've tried a whole ton of them and I use LXDE. I made my own little dock that pops up when I mouse over the top of the screen. Meh, it works for me. Back before Christmas I took a screenie for someone, I forget who. I might as well share it anew.
http://i.imgur.com/tnptzQN.png
I find it insanely fast on new hardware and still really fast on older hardware. That's a desktop that I remote into back in Maine - this one is a bit too messy to share. I tried to get as much into the screen to see as possible but I find it looks fine, does what I need it to do, and does it reasonably well. So, that's the one that works for me but I'm not really into fancy. I am a bit curious about LXQt, I'll be sure to try that at some point.