Isn't odometer reading one of the data points collected as part of the annual inspection? Here in NC that is all electronic, so my guess that the state does have that data already. The feasibility question is the state providing that info to the feds, not gathering it from my car.

- doug

MS doesn't want to leave any of its customers using old, insecure browsers. In fact, it is just the opposite. They want to sell them an upgrade. And if they get two upgrades in one (browser and OS) then they are <charliesheen>winning!</charliesheen>.

- doug

Actually, they are right. We are a republic that happens to use democracy to select our leaders. In a true democracy, it is pure majority rule. We have lots of restrictions that prevent the majority from enforcing its will over minorities. The whole separation of church and state, the Equal Rights Act, and many others all ensure that the majority cannot do anything and everything that it wishes. We are a republic first and and democracy second.

The distinction you are making between a representative democracy and a direct democracy is valid. But even our representatives have restrictions, so the rule of law (our constitution) trumps any vote. I don't know of any nation that is a true democracy, everyone seems to have gone down the republic path.

And remember that democracy cannot be used to change every bit of our constitution. For example, there is no mechanism to leave the United States of America. Just ask the Confederate States of America.

- doug

The party and political inclination of the POTUS has everything to do with it. When W was elected, his DoJ decided to stop investigating/charging MS for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, although Clinton's DoJ put a lot of time/money into it. Now O's DoJ has decided that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and unenforceable, something that W's DoJ would never have done. Different administrations, different slants on things.

- doug

PS: I'm not saying that W or O had any direct influence over either of these choices. But the president does get to nominate a lot of the top people in the DoJ, and everyone in the executive branch works for the president. And it is a good thing that the president's views come out in DoJ, because that is the whole point of having elections.

It isn't the heat, it is the cost of electricity. I've heard that NetApp moved its server farm from Sunnydale to RTP, NC because the cost of electricity was lower. That savings of millions per year justified a huge long term shift. And that was RTP rates, I could easily believe that the mountains have cheaper still rates.

- doug

Actually, there is quite a lot of hydro electric out there, and the McGuire nuclear plant is in the Charlotte area. I'm not saying that there isn't any coal burning plants in Western NC, just that I think that much of the power comes from other sources.

- doug

SCCS is a decade older than anything else on this chart. Perhaps it was left off to avoid stretching it out too much.

- doug

I've never used it, but if you set up a zimbra server, then you can use the connectors available for the 'droids. That should give you the services you need on a box that you control.

- doug