I have an original XP build laptop that I have used every single day since 2007 and it ran like a champ until MS recently dropped XP from support. Strange how now it's started running like crap. Coincidence? I think not.

Thank you, I did. I only have my baby toe dipped into the IT world now in an business ownership role. Good to know there are still people out there that haven't worked in IT long enough to realize that IT IS NOT A CRAFT and you will never perfect anything and will continue to have to learn things that don't mean a pile a beans just a couple of years later. Great gig for me in my 20's, not so much in my 40's and approaching 50's. I'm old school IT and done with it. Enjoy. *

Whew! Good thing that Germany is 100% not spying on anything or anyone in the United States ever. *

Why would you want to automate someone or yourself out of a job? I realized years ago that Microsoft was working hard to automate me out of my contracts. It's almost done, why accelerate the inevitable?

HAHAHA... I remember laughing at jokes like this in the 1980's. Thanks for the distant memories. *

"right-wing militarism"??? Civil War started by Southern Democrats - American deaths = 620,000 WWI - War declared by a Democrat - Woodrow Wilson - American deaths = 116,000 WWII - War declared by a Democrat - Franklin Delano Roosevelt - American deaths = 405,000 Korea - War declared by a Democrat - Harry Truman - American deaths = 53,000 Vietnam - War declared by a Democrat - Lyndon Baines Johnson - American deaths = 58,000

"the USA are at an artificial disadvantage is that as each new generation of communication technology rolls out" I can assure you that future internet access technologies will have nothing to do with laying any kind of land cables. This will bring the U.S. up to par (or above) once all communications are via satellite or some other form of wireless.

How far will they reach to spin this abomination into a positive?

I worked for Compaq back in the early 90's and we had the internets before Al Gore invented it. But at home I used a dial up with a committed phone line until the 1st day broadband was offered in Houston. *

And we celebrated winning the Cold War. *

In the Soviet USA, words come to get you. *

Of course its the U.S.' fault for China breaking in and stealing something that wasn't theirs. What isn't the U.S.' fault in your eyes? (0)

Some of the specialty real estate software that I've dealt with cost more than that for upgrades. Ouch! *

That's great! Makes it real easy for the criminal to determine where to strike with least resistance. WTG NY! *

Hooray for the working man!!!