CDs/DVDs. No LPs, though :-[p

I have DVDs that I've burned as a teenager kept in a nice, high-quality soft "archival" binder for the last 18 years. Nearly all of them, of varying quality/expense, are unreadable due to degradation.

OTOH, I've got old 500MB harddrives that read/work just fine and are just as old. I'd expect sealed HDDs to be as good as it gets - tape is nice, but maintaining a supported/working tape drive was always difficult (used to have one). But, unlike every other type of storage, harddrives are actually capable of warning you of an impending failure. (I've been *saved* by S.M.A.R.T. at least twice, over the years.) Add some rudimentary RAID, and you're probably good. The only way I can think of to go further is to use two/three, and cycle them between your PC(often/all the time), a nearby firesafe(When you are heading in that direction), and a safety-deposit box (seasonally?).

You entitled... You do realize companies often all but collude on this kind of thing? Once one gets away with it, it quickly becomes the norm "in order to stay competitive". IMO, Your rights shouldn't just apply to government - especially since bigger companies own it at some/any/every level anyway. You can't negotiate from unequal footing. If you say anything even approaching "no", the company will simply replace you without a single thought. Probably with someone cheaper. (Or, even better, give your former coworkers who couldn't afford to walk all of your work. Triple-win.)

It's true, I LOVE Liam Neeson movies! I've no idea why... he's a pretty good actor who happens to get properly cast more often than not.

As for Django.... My wife and I put off watching it for a year, as a lot of people I know made it out to be super offensive/over-the-top. Turns out, I think it's one of Tarantino's best films.

But I digress.... Companies tend to be clueless, as a whole - as people tend to be clueless, as a whole. I mean, how hard is it to ask yourself the converse of a question? "Is it true white people have a special bone in their ankle that prevents them from enjoying movies with black stars?" - (On second thought... Please don't answer that...)

So you're absolutely right, better to ask what is proper etiquette WITH ANY CULTURE, then to display your ignorance (and, since you didn't ask, arrogance) to the entire world. Even if someone is offended by you asking privately...you've still avoided worse.

I don't think any of the languages you've mentioned are ones people would consider one of those "vogue" kiddie languages. Scala, D, Swift, Everything on this list, is not something I would tell a child to start learning, and then bet a career on.

That said, use the right tool for the job! PHP is absolutely a great idea for a webpage, which is, by it's very nature, a scripted entity. With much pain, C *can* do it, but there is a better tool, already. PHP - and just about every other scripted language is written in C/C++. So is the JVM. It's all just (another) layer of abstraction, in the end.

  But, when it comes to kernels, firmware, and just about anything embedded - C should be near the top of your list. It's not the most popular language, but it's steady. It sits nicely on top of only assembly language - and thus, is easily used on any (and almost every) hardware-architecture there is.

In states like Oklahoma, we often create laws that are meant to make a single crime multiply, in order to maximize our "tough on crime" image. A police-friend was telling me one of their favorites is the "Computer Crimes Act", which makes the use of a "computer" (which, by their interpretation, includes a cellphone) during a crime, a separately punishable act.

So it applies to texting-while-driving and phone pranks, all of the way up to bank-robbery. Technically, according to paragraph 8, if you find this post *annoying*, I've just committed a misdemeanor!

Go USA!

Why this post is AC, I do not know. But I agree, as a father of 3, the shield portable/tablet is the bee's-knees! My desktop, in all of it's glory, has been relegated to the garage. But when a shield, I can game running 720p practically lag-free anywhere in the house using 802.11n/5GHz, and turn-based games (Civ/Xcom/etc) work fine outside of the house. It's requires an nVidia setup, however.

Welcome to Oklahoma. We just got one of those laws passed, quite easily.

A net-zero bill just isn't going to sit well here - can't have the rabble hurting profits with their "green" technology. To really take advantage of solar here, you have to change your stated goal to independence from the grid. That's going to mean having smarter appliances that can be told "do this load of laundry during the middle of the day, crank up the electric water-heater to 11, and, if there's any extra power - turn on the stereo just to make a point. Just don't give PSO/AEP free power.

If you try this, there's a 99% chance that you'll lose your steam/origin/ubi account, and everything in it. Companies are vindictive like that.

(Kinda wish you weren't AC, but I'll answer anyway.)

I think there's a little truth in both views. There were a lot of [black] people and businesses in Tulsa that used to be quite well-off prior to The Tulsa Race Riot which did more damage in two days than Jim Crow ever could. Those areas are pretty much welfare neighborhoods now, rife with payday-loans and people dependent upon the government (Which I consider to be the final nail in the coffin.) What was lost (or stolen, depending on whom you ask) cannot be valued, and the effects on later generations isn't limited to that community - it takes away from everyone. Education is nil, as one more likely to end up with a criminal record than a degree (Oklahoma blacks and hispanics have a 64% graduation rate.) And state policy ensures those effects are still heading in the wrong direction.

As for families, yes - [modern] black culture glorifies all of the wrong things which tends to lead to lots of children without [responsible] fathers. But it's inaccurate to say that's the norm everywhere. IMO, poverty and marriage simply don't mix. Two working parents can break the poverty-line, but then (in today's economic/political climate) you'll have staganation. Making too much money to qualify for (genuinely needed) help, while not making enough to make ends meet can easily destroy any family. Of the ones that stay together - Many of their children do quite well in school, and do graduate. But cannot possibly afford college. And, without stable households capable of acquiring even modest wealth, even student loans for some *really*good*kids* are totally out-of-the-question. Ensuring yet another generation of lightly-educated people, with no access to education, mentorship, or even a trade. ...and all of the limitations thereof. (For that reason, I'm actually against the idea that "college is the solution to all problems" that has been ingrained into the minds of all black parents. You can work in many fields, including IT, without a degree. It's debt-free, and if you work hard at what you do, it's upwardly mobile. More-so if you have the aptitude.)

I don't buy into the "victim mentality" at all. I determine my own future. But I'm not alone or ashamed in the fact that I, my parents, grandparents, have to overcome significant obstacles to establish *somewhat* equal footing *starting* with my generation. Most Americans [black, white, whatever] don't seem to understand that the real damage from overt racism isn't "he's [not us], so I won't hire him or serve him food", it was "those [not us] people should never acquire education & wealth, lest they become a threat" which resulted in many calculated (and often violent) actions taken with the intent to deny wealth. Combine that history with welfare and you have a never ending cycle of: ...Poverty - the gift that keeps on giving.

No, the midwest. Oklahoma - to be specific. I think, with the exception of the south, the population in most cities are similar - though my own neighborhood is about as far as it gets from being segregated in any way.

This.

It's sad, but we're rare birds. It's not the fault of any one thing. Culturally, families DO encourage it, however, there are few mentors. I just lucked out and had a dad who was a real dad worthy of mentorship, in engineering. It's rare because of.... I'll leave it at "forces of history" (internal, and external, both).

The stereotypes can be hard to shake, though. Being taken seriously can be an obstacle. It's a different experience, I'm sure. The only way to break the cycle (IMO) is to get out there and try to teach/mentor/train (which is an entirely different can of worms.)

This is from the viewpoint of an OEM manufacturer, btw.

I cannot agree more. States should be going after companies like Walmart to make them pay for any public-assistance their employees qualify for, plus a premium. (They do similar things to individuals, "corporations are people, too" ...remember?) The problem would fix itself.

If your wages from a full-time job don't allow someone who works for you to earn enough of a living to not have to work, you had better not be turning a "profit", much less paying it out to investors...

The whole "flipping burgers isn't supposed to support a family" isn't a valid argument. McDonald's posted 5.5 BILLION in profit for 2012. They can pay their workers (well) above minimum wage.