Once upon a time, Volvos had a three-digit model number: the first digit was the series, the second the number of cylinders, and the third the number of doors. So you'd know just from the model that the 245 was the lower-end four-cylinder station wagon (the "fifth door").

When they ditched that system (in the '80s?), the first model was something like the 740; their own ad poked fun at themselves, asking "No doors?"

I'm happy to consider constructs like "if ((newThing = CreateAThing()) == NULL) { /* handle the error */ }" legit when you don't have try/catch exception handling.

Not in the employee handbook.

I have like ten weeks vacay banked. I can give ten weeks notice and walk right out the door.

I will, of course, generously offer to consult hourly at 90% of the rate my boss charges clients for my time for the first three months.

Yeah, I saw another post from EditorDavid that had Kurzweil's name misspelled in the headline. EditorDavid is apparently only David, because he sure as hell doesn't edit.

Would it really be so hard to put the title of the comic in the story instead of requiring a click through? Anyway, it's Archangel.

Look out, /. editors; you're next.

My under-seat bag holds everything I need for two nights/three business days: laptop, tablet, two clean shirts and a second pair of trousers, socks and underwear, toothbrush and razor (as well as whatever score I'm studying and the aforementioned tuning fork). I don't worry about overhead storage. I get to the airport without having to stand in the check-my-bag line before the check-my-body line. I can take a bump at the gate without luggage issues (which just last month got me enough Deltabucks for a family round-trip somewhere).

Internationally, I generally have to make at least one and (depending on my Euro destination) frequently two connections. Waiting for the checked bag, then customs, then re-checking the checked bag (twice! each way!) is way more hassle than the rare gate-check. If I could fly direct, that would change the calculation, of course.

YMMV.

Do you check luggage for a two-day business trip? Heck, I've done two and a half weeks in Europe carry-on.

...every time.

I knew this already, and wondered why the summarizer failed to mention it.

Everything MachineShedFred said in his response, plus: Shutting down the government is their agenda. The Hastert Rule doesn't allow anything to come to the floor without advance support of the majority party; neither the establishment GOP nor the TP'ers (to say nothing of the minority party, which actually represents the majority of the population due to both gerrymandering and district sizes) can get anything going, and, hey, that's just fine with the TP and their backers. "Shrink government until it's small enough to drown in a bathtub," right?

Gerrymandering, having created "safe" districts, increased markedly after 2010. That year, many of the state representatives were ushered in on a wave of TEA ("Taxed Enough Already," for those who've forgotten) party whipped-up anger at the establishment of both parties. Democrats were crammed into districts where they make up as much as 70% of voters, and Republican districts have a safe margin at 55% of voters (so a state that actually tilts Democrat can have a heavily GOP state leg and congressional delegation). Now the House members are decided in primaries (which, if closed, prevent anyone not in the party from voting), so it is in fact the fringier candidates, who feel no obligation to appeal to the center, who win these elections.

Mod parent up. tripleevenfall has been waiting to use that one for thirty-eight years.