The study is flawed in that, from my reading, did they ever actually run it with everyone obeying the rules. (I haven't read that study in a while. So I may have forgotten something.) I seem to recall that they did not actually even show their rule sets.
But, let me preface this by saying that I've been a professional driver, I've taken many advanced driving courses, I've worked in traffic modeling, engineering, and made quite a living at it. I also drive a BMW... I'll also add that I have absolutely zero at-fault accidents on my record in over 40 years of driving. This doesn't excuse my behavior but I hate highway driving. And I had a deadline...
So, I was tooling down I-95 corridor at 120 at times, just yesterday. I know, I know... However, it was not around traffic. Point being, you're correct. I really don't care if they fine me. They probably *should* fine me more for infractions.
Oddly, I have no infractions on my record but I did get a speeding ticket many years ago. Somehow, I've had none since. No, I have no idea why not. I do drive very differently when there's traffic present. They should probably figure out a way to account for the times when it is safe to speed but I doubt that will happen and I doubt that skill level will ever be taken into account.
Err... No... The average idiot behind the wheel of an automobile is an inept idiot who is distracted and selfish. That is, by default, the assumption to make about every single vehicle on the road. There are a few things where this idea does work.
Here's a fun one...
Most areas don't use them. Want to ease congestion at a merge? Heh... Put up a "zipper merge" sign with a nice sign below it saying something like "Be alert, Zipper Merge ahead!" Don't go Full-Georgia. Let's just say that they've taken signage to a level that is above and beyond.
Anyhow, clear signage does help but the two areas you mention are not likely to help. Put lights on the signs to indicate when there are children present. Throw an empty cop car with lights flashing at the construction sites and do more work at night. Have a second rate of speed for when the school is not in session, by the way.
Almost every single vehicle accident is caused by someone driving too fast for the conditions. On its outset, that sounds absurd. Think about it for a while (if you don't get it) and get back to me.
Give me a week to observe the traffic pattern data, three independent drivers, and I will gridlock your highways without causing a single accident and, quite probably, by following the letter of the law. The problem is, generally, that everyone ignores the letter of the law. Those laws are put there for a reason (frequently) and it's usually (well, sometimes) a good reason.
Fortunately, after having grid-locked your traffic, I can show you how to fix it and, mostly, prevent it - though few ever listen to all the advice. That's why I'm retired.
I even wear them with sandals. I do not wear the sandals to bed. However, dress code (that some ignored) was that when I was in civilian attire, I still must wear socks. I got used to it. Now, I wear nice woolen socks from L.L. Bean and love 'em - I buy 'em by the dozen and usually every few months I get more. It's like my one lovely self-pampering thing. I love the feel of new socks. They make my feet happy!
Also, here's a sock tip. Hah! Sock tip... I kill me...
Anyhow, the next time you go out hunting put a pair of socks in the dryer and let them get all hot and bothered. Take 'em out and toss 'em into a good Thermos. Put 'em on the seat of your truck along with a pair of fuzzy moccasins. When you stomp out of the woods, take off your boots and socks, put on the new socks and moccasins, and you will have happy feet.
I'm not surprised to say this on Slashdot but you are REALLY BAD at sex. Wow. I may be old but if you've got knitting needles in the bed while we're having sex (or in the kitchen, the living room, the floor) then someone is going to poke an eye out. If she's even remotely able to knit during sex, you're doing it wrong.
Well, not *wrong* per se... Just not very interesting. I guess if you're rather rhythmic then she can get the tempo going. Knit one, perl two, knit two, perl two... *sighs* Seriously? Knitting while having sex???
Not long after selling my business and retiring, I did a few simply stupid things like mention how much I'd sold for, who I had donated to, what I planned on doing, etc... Well, someone knew me well enough to scoop my data and dox me. It was kind of invasive because they used that information to post my tax information. I guess, you know, that's kind of legal and all that. My tax information can be found easily enough.
The good thing is, the doxxing party did not want to be a complete prick. (I guess they figured out they were wrong and were apologizing in some way?) They had taken the time to redact my SSN (or someone had) but there was my address, there was my DOB, etc... Fortunately, I was moving soon and so I just didn't forward my mail. I was getting hate mail from certain groups, I'll avoid mentioning them by name here today, for not donating to their pet cause. I know, it sounds odd but some people hate you if you don't support their favorite cause.
I got phone calls, I got pizza, I got gay mailings, I got put on every single charity list on the planet (I think). See, well, I kind of figured I didn't actually *need* all that much money so I thought it'd be nice to give some away to good causes. But no... It's tempting to name and shame but I got slammed by people who didn't like who I donated to and thought I should have given money to their cause instead. I mean slammed. Like come down to the post office and pick up a box of mail every day slammed.
Anyhow, to get to my point... I had to put all my credit on hold. It still is. I don't have a credit line except for three credit cards that I keep for emergencies and benefits (like curb-side service at hotels, list bumps, etc) and I have to actually go through a hell of a lot of work to get a credit line if I want one through the normal channels. Contrary to popular opinion, sometimes a credit line is nice - like a normal one. I can go through my credit union and they don't even check, they just give me what I want but it's not quite the same. I'm always sending my kids some extra money - it'd be awesome to get some air-miles for that and give those to them too. (I can't imagine why I'd carry a balance.)
So, it took quite a bit of work to get all of the various services to lock me down and put a "do not issue credit" type of flag on my account. Obviously, this should be monitored. I do not do so myself, I'm kind of lazy these days. A company that does something like this and lets me do it nice and easily would be nice. It'd be cool to just be able to go to one site and enter a creditor name in and say that they can access my score.
Also, that credit score is kind of bunk. I have a +800 score and it's lower than I used to have as my business was in my name and hardware is damned expensive. I am far more able to repay a credit line now than I've ever been. It was like 850 or so the last time I looked which, I admit, has been a while.
We could argue that latter statement for quite some time but, suffice to say, don't let Facebook monopolize you. Yeah, you may lose something and you may gain something. I function just fine without it and I know many others who do the same.
Sorry for the delayed reply. Was back on the road.
Anyhow, I'm tired. But it is not hard to pay for a car with cash. The car that I drove here was nearly 120k and I paid for it with cash. I signed a document saying that I was taking the money out and bought the car. That was it. The credit union even gives me a suitcase to keep it in and I return it when I get around to it.
They did. It was, indeed, this company. I'm nearly certain. You got a greater percentage if you got in early or if you bought it at over certain dollar levels. It was like MLM spam stuff that he'd forwarded to me. I'm almost certain it was this company or they had a nearly identical name.
Don't bother explaining it to them. If they can't figure out that it is not you then screw 'em. I know loads of people who have done just fine. I've read two anecdotes of people who claim they did not get a job due to not having an account (though, judging by their post history - that might not be the reason). There's fuck all you can do about it, don't give 'em more data. Do not participate. Turn off the tracking crap, don't go, don't add to the pile.
I'm actually familiar with that book. I read it as a child. I grew up on base, my father was a career Marine, and we had many such books in our library. It's probably in my library at home. Garbo is a great character - absolutely brilliant. And they fell for it! He gave them just enough information to keep them wanting more and only some of it was factual but enough was true to be of interest.
I forget his name but there was a Soviet spy who managed to get a medal from both the Germans and the Russians. They're entertainment reads and watches so I don't memorize names, places, and dates very well. I know, it probably seems strange to do such but, well, it's my entertainment. The spy craft really took on a whole new meaning with that age. The Cold War really made it excel and today, I'm sure, they've gone even further.
There was an interesting work, I forget the name of the book, that was written by a lady OSS member. That was a good read. She'd helped to vet some of the inbound refugees and whatnot. She'd also gone undercover for a while but she was a secretary who could not type so that didn't last very long. She survived, that's good. Unfortunately, the name escapes me. If I think of it, I'll try to reply.
Something something bees for a quarter and an onion on our belt which was the fashion at the time. Yeah, it's what I do.;-) You *must* be new here if you're unfamiliar with it. I seem to recall that/. has a character limit now. I've not hit it in a while. I probably should find it again.
If us old people don't tell you the stories then how will you kids remember? It's my way or writing it down.
Ha! I just noticed your signature. You are, indeed, the audience. *nods* Maybe not the intended audience but you're the audience now. I might be a little stoned and now the missus is driving so I'll share some Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - if, for no other reason, than to while away some time and give cause to make one ponder my sanity.
Welcome back my friends, To the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend. Come inside, come inside!
Meh, alright... I was going for the deranged madman effect 'cause I'm kind of bored and we've got a long ways to go to get to Florida. I might stop in Georgia for the night and visit the alligators in the morning but it's probably a bit chilly for the 'gators to be active. See? If you made it this far, I'm pretty sure Slashdot comment boxes are made for trolling, wasting time, and generally sharing an occasional nugget of information - topical or not. I have been mistaken.
Yeah, it's too damned complicated for me. I don't think they wanted a huge buy-in, maybe 75k minimal - if it's the company that I'm thinking of. I probably should have saved the email. It was like MLM spam.
Not only do I manage but many of the people I know, most of whom are not Libertarians, do not participate. You don't have to. It's not that hard to go through life without it. I'm not *that* far from normal.
Err... As to the fiat currency? I'm not sure why we should do away with the idea but I do participate in the barter system quite frequently. That's a personal choice and probably not suitable for everyone so I'm not sure why you think I'd advocate such. Oh, wait, no - I'm not an extremist, really. I'm pretty moderate and actually pretty far left of any elected official.
That too. I've even asked family members to avoid that. Let me be in peace.
I also figured out where the confusion was with a prior post. You can opt out. No, you can opt out of participating. That seems to have not been clear with my earlier post. I'd assumed it was clear but, given the replies and some thought, I think that's probably where the confusion lies. Don't take part, you don't have to. The profile isn't you. That's just data in storage somewhere. Give 'em as little as you can and move along.
Funny you say that. I just stopped in at an old haunt and now the missus is driving us as we're out of DC traffic and back on 95 and headed due south for the duration. I check Maine's weather (I've been gone since September) and I'm quite pleased. My dog will be flying down tomorrow.
That said, I stopped in at Quantico and visited a few old friends who are still, for some reason, slugging it out though they could have retired already.
Now, you raise an interesting thought and not one I've not had before. I'd say it's partially due to self-selection, training, and peer-pressure. We're, generally, the most generous, friendly, and intelligent people on the planet (I might be biased) but we do have our moments. Have you ever, perchance, had the opportunity to drink with Marines - say, right after boot and in a group of them? We're still nice - we're just rowdy.
At any rate, we'd have touched off a nuke just to see what happened. There's no doubt about it. It probably wouldn't take very long before one of us figured out how to detonate it. We are, after all, intelligent people. The funny part is people believe I'm a mathematician (I am even a Ph.D holding mathematician) yet have difficulty understanding that I paid for some of it with the GI Bill by serving in the Marines.
So, I punch them in the throat and stomp on their sternum... (No, not really. I'm rather harmless. I'm quite the doddering old man these days though I did finally shave off my long hair - easier to care for on my journey.)
Ah, tech is grand. I'm hurtling down the highway at ungodly speeds (she's a horrible driver) and am using my phone as a wireless router and don't seem to have any issues. We, Marines, are generally well received no matter where we go. When we stomp onto foreign shores, our brass is bright, our boots polished, and our manners are impeccable. We do what we came to do and ask for nothing but a small plot of land with which to bury our dead. We will move a mountain with nothing but the spoon from our mess kit should we be so ordered. Or, if no one's looking, we'll steal the equipment from the squids and use that to move the mountain.
We have a proud tradition, a heritage, and a code of honor that we enforce among ourselves. I generally dislike the idea that "once a Marine, always a Marine" and "there's no such thing as a former Marine." But they're both true. You are torn down, brainwashed, and built into a Marine - each a rifleman, from cook to accountant, and each having earned the right to the name.
I don't really have a complete answer and I've given it much thought. Make of it what you will. I guess, there have been times and places where I've been told that I'm cocky and I never really understood that view. I am not cocky, I am certain. That's what makes me a Marine. (I just had some of this conversation with the missus as we were going to and leaving base.)
I like to invest some cash and, I'm not sure if this is the group but I had an offer forwarded to me about investing in a company that bought things like movie rights, copyrights, and things like that. I declined to invest though I think the friend invested some in one of these companies. I hope he loses his shirt. Well, no, but I hope he learns a lesson. I'm not positive but I am damned near positive that this was the name of the company. I'm almost sure...:/ Ah well... I did not participate. I don't really agree with the duration of copyright nor how it is abused.
I'd turn the key if I took the job and an order came down to do so. I don't take jobs that I am unwilling to carry out. I did serve in the military but I'd absolutely not have taken that job (they don't let Marines play with that sort of stuff, as a general rule and for good reason). However, if I took the job then I'd do my duty which was to follow that order. I said I'd follow that order, I'll follow that order - assuming it's lawful. I could not turn that key, I would not take that job.
I went to school at Kents Hill which is, well, a prep school. Yes, yes I lived on campus, we had our own observatory, ice arena, ski slope, etc... Anyhow, we had these really early computers (not a lot of them) that took magnetic stripe cards, punch cards, a plotter, and you could hook it up to a TV. I don't know when they came out but this was the late 1960s that they showed up - we could program them. We used them in both Physics and Planer Geometry and then again in Trig and Calc though I think those might have been different models then?
I want to say it was something called an HP 5900 or something? At any rate, it was a calculator but a rather advanced calculator for the time. I seem to remember the card reader was a detached device? Meh... I've not seen one in a million and three years. Oddly, I didn't touch another computer until the late 1970s and I mostly hated it until sometime in the mid 1980s. I thought they were mostly a burden and that the calculations were nice but I'd already learned how to do them on paper or with a hand-held calculator.
My views changed a bit, once I learned how to make the damned thing do what I told it to. Not one bit of the punch-card tech was ever something I ever used again. We'd load it into the memory with paper and then, if it was good, we'd label a card and run it through the machine.
I guess my point is, she probably can't use an HP calculator and I, intimately familiar with one at one point in time, can't do so either. Well, for some calculators. I seem to recall they called it a calculator because the phrase calculator was a bit more friendly than computer (we were having a "big brain" thing going on not long before - long story) but it was really more a programmable computer than a simple calculator.
That's not you. That's some dumb ass company using your name. Don't participate. If you want to go further then block their tracking cookies, block their scripts, opt out. If I can figure out how to block their shit, you can. Don't participate, don't join their site, don't give them content of your own volition, don't give them views, and don't use any services that require their services. It's *really* not that hard. Use something like uMatrix or NoScript if it bugs you. Follow the APK and use hosts files. Null them at your router. Do not participate. Don't join, don't give them more information, don't go there. Do, on the other hand, feel free to bitch about 'em but, really, it's probably easier to just ignore them than it is to get them to change their ways.
I have opted out. That shadow profile is not me. That's something somebody made up about me. I had no part in it, I took no part in it, I don't even care if they do it. I opted out. It's not hard. Do not participate if you do not like it.
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The study is flawed in that, from my reading, did they ever actually run it with everyone obeying the rules. (I haven't read that study in a while. So I may have forgotten something.) I seem to recall that they did not actually even show their rule sets.
The giant vehicle behind you should be prepared and able to stop in time - even if it means you get a large distance between you.
Erf... I should post this as an AC.
But, let me preface this by saying that I've been a professional driver, I've taken many advanced driving courses, I've worked in traffic modeling, engineering, and made quite a living at it. I also drive a BMW... I'll also add that I have absolutely zero at-fault accidents on my record in over 40 years of driving. This doesn't excuse my behavior but I hate highway driving. And I had a deadline...
So, I was tooling down I-95 corridor at 120 at times, just yesterday. I know, I know... However, it was not around traffic. Point being, you're correct. I really don't care if they fine me. They probably *should* fine me more for infractions.
Oddly, I have no infractions on my record but I did get a speeding ticket many years ago. Somehow, I've had none since. No, I have no idea why not. I do drive very differently when there's traffic present. They should probably figure out a way to account for the times when it is safe to speed but I doubt that will happen and I doubt that skill level will ever be taken into account.
Err... No... The average idiot behind the wheel of an automobile is an inept idiot who is distracted and selfish. That is, by default, the assumption to make about every single vehicle on the road. There are a few things where this idea does work.
Here's a fun one...
Most areas don't use them. Want to ease congestion at a merge? Heh... Put up a "zipper merge" sign with a nice sign below it saying something like "Be alert, Zipper Merge ahead!" Don't go Full-Georgia. Let's just say that they've taken signage to a level that is above and beyond.
Anyhow, clear signage does help but the two areas you mention are not likely to help. Put lights on the signs to indicate when there are children present. Throw an empty cop car with lights flashing at the construction sites and do more work at night. Have a second rate of speed for when the school is not in session, by the way.
Almost every single vehicle accident is caused by someone driving too fast for the conditions. On its outset, that sounds absurd. Think about it for a while (if you don't get it) and get back to me.
Give me a week to observe the traffic pattern data, three independent drivers, and I will gridlock your highways without causing a single accident and, quite probably, by following the letter of the law. The problem is, generally, that everyone ignores the letter of the law. Those laws are put there for a reason (frequently) and it's usually (well, sometimes) a good reason.
Fortunately, after having grid-locked your traffic, I can show you how to fix it and, mostly, prevent it - though few ever listen to all the advice. That's why I'm retired.
*raises hand slowly*
I even wear them with sandals. I do not wear the sandals to bed. However, dress code (that some ignored) was that when I was in civilian attire, I still must wear socks. I got used to it. Now, I wear nice woolen socks from L.L. Bean and love 'em - I buy 'em by the dozen and usually every few months I get more. It's like my one lovely self-pampering thing. I love the feel of new socks. They make my feet happy!
Also, here's a sock tip. Hah! Sock tip... I kill me...
Anyhow, the next time you go out hunting put a pair of socks in the dryer and let them get all hot and bothered. Take 'em out and toss 'em into a good Thermos. Put 'em on the seat of your truck along with a pair of fuzzy moccasins. When you stomp out of the woods, take off your boots and socks, put on the new socks and moccasins, and you will have happy feet.
Take care of your feet, they'll love you for it.
Err... I should so post this as an AC. :/ Ah well.
I'm not surprised to say this on Slashdot but you are REALLY BAD at sex. Wow. I may be old but if you've got knitting needles in the bed while we're having sex (or in the kitchen, the living room, the floor) then someone is going to poke an eye out. If she's even remotely able to knit during sex, you're doing it wrong.
Well, not *wrong* per se... Just not very interesting. I guess if you're rather rhythmic then she can get the tempo going. Knit one, perl two, knit two, perl two... *sighs* Seriously? Knitting while having sex???
I kind of admit, I want pictures. :/
Not long after selling my business and retiring, I did a few simply stupid things like mention how much I'd sold for, who I had donated to, what I planned on doing, etc... Well, someone knew me well enough to scoop my data and dox me. It was kind of invasive because they used that information to post my tax information. I guess, you know, that's kind of legal and all that. My tax information can be found easily enough.
The good thing is, the doxxing party did not want to be a complete prick. (I guess they figured out they were wrong and were apologizing in some way?) They had taken the time to redact my SSN (or someone had) but there was my address, there was my DOB, etc... Fortunately, I was moving soon and so I just didn't forward my mail. I was getting hate mail from certain groups, I'll avoid mentioning them by name here today, for not donating to their pet cause. I know, it sounds odd but some people hate you if you don't support their favorite cause.
I got phone calls, I got pizza, I got gay mailings, I got put on every single charity list on the planet (I think). See, well, I kind of figured I didn't actually *need* all that much money so I thought it'd be nice to give some away to good causes. But no... It's tempting to name and shame but I got slammed by people who didn't like who I donated to and thought I should have given money to their cause instead. I mean slammed. Like come down to the post office and pick up a box of mail every day slammed.
Anyhow, to get to my point... I had to put all my credit on hold. It still is. I don't have a credit line except for three credit cards that I keep for emergencies and benefits (like curb-side service at hotels, list bumps, etc) and I have to actually go through a hell of a lot of work to get a credit line if I want one through the normal channels. Contrary to popular opinion, sometimes a credit line is nice - like a normal one. I can go through my credit union and they don't even check, they just give me what I want but it's not quite the same. I'm always sending my kids some extra money - it'd be awesome to get some air-miles for that and give those to them too. (I can't imagine why I'd carry a balance.)
So, it took quite a bit of work to get all of the various services to lock me down and put a "do not issue credit" type of flag on my account. Obviously, this should be monitored. I do not do so myself, I'm kind of lazy these days. A company that does something like this and lets me do it nice and easily would be nice. It'd be cool to just be able to go to one site and enter a creditor name in and say that they can access my score.
Also, that credit score is kind of bunk. I have a +800 score and it's lower than I used to have as my business was in my name and hardware is damned expensive. I am far more able to repay a credit line now than I've ever been. It was like 850 or so the last time I looked which, I admit, has been a while.
We could argue that latter statement for quite some time but, suffice to say, don't let Facebook monopolize you. Yeah, you may lose something and you may gain something. I function just fine without it and I know many others who do the same.
Sorry for the delayed reply. Was back on the road.
Yay... I am all set up and in Florida.
Anyhow, I'm tired. But it is not hard to pay for a car with cash. The car that I drove here was nearly 120k and I paid for it with cash. I signed a document saying that I was taking the money out and bought the car. That was it. The credit union even gives me a suitcase to keep it in and I return it when I get around to it.
They did. It was, indeed, this company. I'm nearly certain. You got a greater percentage if you got in early or if you bought it at over certain dollar levels. It was like MLM spam stuff that he'd forwarded to me. I'm almost certain it was this company or they had a nearly identical name.
Don't bother explaining it to them. If they can't figure out that it is not you then screw 'em. I know loads of people who have done just fine. I've read two anecdotes of people who claim they did not get a job due to not having an account (though, judging by their post history - that might not be the reason). There's fuck all you can do about it, don't give 'em more data. Do not participate. Turn off the tracking crap, don't go, don't add to the pile.
I'm actually familiar with that book. I read it as a child. I grew up on base, my father was a career Marine, and we had many such books in our library. It's probably in my library at home. Garbo is a great character - absolutely brilliant. And they fell for it! He gave them just enough information to keep them wanting more and only some of it was factual but enough was true to be of interest.
I forget his name but there was a Soviet spy who managed to get a medal from both the Germans and the Russians. They're entertainment reads and watches so I don't memorize names, places, and dates very well. I know, it probably seems strange to do such but, well, it's my entertainment. The spy craft really took on a whole new meaning with that age. The Cold War really made it excel and today, I'm sure, they've gone even further.
There was an interesting work, I forget the name of the book, that was written by a lady OSS member. That was a good read. She'd helped to vet some of the inbound refugees and whatnot. She'd also gone undercover for a while but she was a secretary who could not type so that didn't last very long. She survived, that's good. Unfortunately, the name escapes me. If I think of it, I'll try to reply.
Something something bees for a quarter and an onion on our belt which was the fashion at the time. Yeah, it's what I do. ;-) You *must* be new here if you're unfamiliar with it. I seem to recall that /. has a character limit now. I've not hit it in a while. I probably should find it again.
If us old people don't tell you the stories then how will you kids remember? It's my way or writing it down.
Ha! I just noticed your signature. You are, indeed, the audience. *nods* Maybe not the intended audience but you're the audience now. I might be a little stoned and now the missus is driving so I'll share some Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - if, for no other reason, than to while away some time and give cause to make one ponder my sanity.
Welcome back my friends,
To the show that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend.
Come inside, come inside!
Meh, alright... I was going for the deranged madman effect 'cause I'm kind of bored and we've got a long ways to go to get to Florida. I might stop in Georgia for the night and visit the alligators in the morning but it's probably a bit chilly for the 'gators to be active. See? If you made it this far, I'm pretty sure Slashdot comment boxes are made for trolling, wasting time, and generally sharing an occasional nugget of information - topical or not. I have been mistaken.
Yeah, it's too damned complicated for me. I don't think they wanted a huge buy-in, maybe 75k minimal - if it's the company that I'm thinking of. I probably should have saved the email. It was like MLM spam.
Not only do I manage but many of the people I know, most of whom are not Libertarians, do not participate. You don't have to. It's not that hard to go through life without it. I'm not *that* far from normal.
Err... As to the fiat currency? I'm not sure why we should do away with the idea but I do participate in the barter system quite frequently. That's a personal choice and probably not suitable for everyone so I'm not sure why you think I'd advocate such. Oh, wait, no - I'm not an extremist, really. I'm pretty moderate and actually pretty far left of any elected official.
That too. I've even asked family members to avoid that. Let me be in peace.
I also figured out where the confusion was with a prior post. You can opt out. No, you can opt out of participating. That seems to have not been clear with my earlier post. I'd assumed it was clear but, given the replies and some thought, I think that's probably where the confusion lies. Don't take part, you don't have to. The profile isn't you. That's just data in storage somewhere. Give 'em as little as you can and move along.
Funny you say that. I just stopped in at an old haunt and now the missus is driving us as we're out of DC traffic and back on 95 and headed due south for the duration. I check Maine's weather (I've been gone since September) and I'm quite pleased. My dog will be flying down tomorrow.
That said, I stopped in at Quantico and visited a few old friends who are still, for some reason, slugging it out though they could have retired already.
Now, you raise an interesting thought and not one I've not had before. I'd say it's partially due to self-selection, training, and peer-pressure. We're, generally, the most generous, friendly, and intelligent people on the planet (I might be biased) but we do have our moments. Have you ever, perchance, had the opportunity to drink with Marines - say, right after boot and in a group of them? We're still nice - we're just rowdy.
At any rate, we'd have touched off a nuke just to see what happened. There's no doubt about it. It probably wouldn't take very long before one of us figured out how to detonate it. We are, after all, intelligent people. The funny part is people believe I'm a mathematician (I am even a Ph.D holding mathematician) yet have difficulty understanding that I paid for some of it with the GI Bill by serving in the Marines.
So, I punch them in the throat and stomp on their sternum... (No, not really. I'm rather harmless. I'm quite the doddering old man these days though I did finally shave off my long hair - easier to care for on my journey.)
Ah, tech is grand. I'm hurtling down the highway at ungodly speeds (she's a horrible driver) and am using my phone as a wireless router and don't seem to have any issues. We, Marines, are generally well received no matter where we go. When we stomp onto foreign shores, our brass is bright, our boots polished, and our manners are impeccable. We do what we came to do and ask for nothing but a small plot of land with which to bury our dead. We will move a mountain with nothing but the spoon from our mess kit should we be so ordered. Or, if no one's looking, we'll steal the equipment from the squids and use that to move the mountain.
We have a proud tradition, a heritage, and a code of honor that we enforce among ourselves. I generally dislike the idea that "once a Marine, always a Marine" and "there's no such thing as a former Marine." But they're both true. You are torn down, brainwashed, and built into a Marine - each a rifleman, from cook to accountant, and each having earned the right to the name.
I don't really have a complete answer and I've given it much thought. Make of it what you will. I guess, there have been times and places where I've been told that I'm cocky and I never really understood that view. I am not cocky, I am certain. That's what makes me a Marine. (I just had some of this conversation with the missus as we were going to and leaving base.)
Patton's mistake was, as I recall, doing it while press was present.
I like to invest some cash and, I'm not sure if this is the group but I had an offer forwarded to me about investing in a company that bought things like movie rights, copyrights, and things like that. I declined to invest though I think the friend invested some in one of these companies. I hope he loses his shirt. Well, no, but I hope he learns a lesson. I'm not positive but I am damned near positive that this was the name of the company. I'm almost sure... :/ Ah well... I did not participate. I don't really agree with the duration of copyright nor how it is abused.
I'd turn the key if I took the job and an order came down to do so. I don't take jobs that I am unwilling to carry out. I did serve in the military but I'd absolutely not have taken that job (they don't let Marines play with that sort of stuff, as a general rule and for good reason). However, if I took the job then I'd do my duty which was to follow that order. I said I'd follow that order, I'll follow that order - assuming it's lawful. I could not turn that key, I would not take that job.
I went to school at Kents Hill which is, well, a prep school. Yes, yes I lived on campus, we had our own observatory, ice arena, ski slope, etc... Anyhow, we had these really early computers (not a lot of them) that took magnetic stripe cards, punch cards, a plotter, and you could hook it up to a TV. I don't know when they came out but this was the late 1960s that they showed up - we could program them. We used them in both Physics and Planer Geometry and then again in Trig and Calc though I think those might have been different models then?
I want to say it was something called an HP 5900 or something? At any rate, it was a calculator but a rather advanced calculator for the time. I seem to remember the card reader was a detached device? Meh... I've not seen one in a million and three years. Oddly, I didn't touch another computer until the late 1970s and I mostly hated it until sometime in the mid 1980s. I thought they were mostly a burden and that the calculations were nice but I'd already learned how to do them on paper or with a hand-held calculator.
My views changed a bit, once I learned how to make the damned thing do what I told it to. Not one bit of the punch-card tech was ever something I ever used again. We'd load it into the memory with paper and then, if it was good, we'd label a card and run it through the machine.
I guess my point is, she probably can't use an HP calculator and I, intimately familiar with one at one point in time, can't do so either. Well, for some calculators. I seem to recall they called it a calculator because the phrase calculator was a bit more friendly than computer (we were having a "big brain" thing going on not long before - long story) but it was really more a programmable computer than a simple calculator.
That's not you. That's some dumb ass company using your name. Don't participate. If you want to go further then block their tracking cookies, block their scripts, opt out. If I can figure out how to block their shit, you can. Don't participate, don't join their site, don't give them content of your own volition, don't give them views, and don't use any services that require their services. It's *really* not that hard. Use something like uMatrix or NoScript if it bugs you. Follow the APK and use hosts files. Null them at your router. Do not participate. Don't join, don't give them more information, don't go there. Do, on the other hand, feel free to bitch about 'em but, really, it's probably easier to just ignore them than it is to get them to change their ways.
I have opted out. That shadow profile is not me. That's something somebody made up about me. I had no part in it, I took no part in it, I don't even care if they do it. I opted out. It's not hard. Do not participate if you do not like it.