Most people are morons.

The Internet existed long before WWW did. WWW is just a service that runs on the underlying infrastructure.

Research is great.

Actually BUILDING something is even greater - and a different topic.

It's also the difference between SCIENCE and ENGINEERING.

[quote]There will come a day, however, when you'll be able to transfer funds just by holding your cellphone next to someone else's and hitting a few keys — and this is just one of the ways we'll wean ourselves off cash.[/quote]I don't currently own a cell phone. I also don't WANT a cell phone. But now I'm going to have to get one, just so I can buy stuff? That sucks.

No. Earplugs hurt my ears - in a big way. Headphones are bad enough.

I did buy a $500 pair of noise cancelling headphones though - to no avail.

I hate wearing headphones. They suck. I hate having to listen to something. However, the people in my work area are so fucking loud, it is just ridiculous. They have hour-long speaker phone conferences all fucking day. Sometimes they are so loud, I have difficulty listening to what is on the headphones, even at full, ear bleeding volume. No one, the people involved, nor the top management, including the CIO, understand the negative impacts, or if they do, they certainly don't care.

We have two offices currently going unused. I've begged top management to either move two of us "need quiet" people in there, or at least move the two loud fuckers who are on the speaker phone ALL FUCKING DAY to the offices. However, they refuse. Why? Because offices are for managers, and none of the people involved are managers. In the meantime, we have a low productivity environment and offices that are going unused. They've BEEN unused, since I got here - except for the 3 months that I was assigned to an office because I was doing "confidential" work. Once that project was over, I got put back in the noise infested shithole, for no reason other than "offices are for managers."

It's ridiculous. Headphones do not help. I can't wait to quit this fucking job - just as soon as it is convenient. In the meantime, I am working at 50% capacity (at best), because I can sit here for hours and not be able to concentrate enough to do any work.

On the upside - I've discovered the Alex Jones radio show and I can keep myself entertained all day.......except when it is too loud to hear, even with headphones.

In other words - people who are too lazy to "get ahead" will spend some of their laziness on electronic doodads when they have the opportunity to do so. Who would have guessed?

And before you jump on the "too lazy" part of what I just said - if you're poor or down & out, and you're playing XBOX instead of going to the library to learn whatever, or you spend the money on an XBOX instead of something that would provide you with the knowledge to get ahead, then yes, you're lazy.

For most people, getting ahead takes hard work. It's a lot easier to seek out entertainment than the knowledge and skills required to get ahead. This article seems to be right in line with what most people would expect.

..."that has been tried...."

Like I said time for something new - not been tried. The details of which are too much to go into here.

So is speeding.

So what?

I used to be all concerned with abiding by the law. Then one day I woke up and realized that the law isn't written by people like me. Nor is it written for the benefit of people like me. The law is written by and for the benefit of those who have the ability to meaningfully influence or manipulate the process.

Once I realized that, I decided "fuck the law" - I'm doing whatever I want that serves my interests and that I feel I can get away with - just like our overlords.

So does a virus.

Democracy is a failed political model.

Voting is a waste of time, esp. given the candidates we get to vote for. One is as bad as the other, there is no "lesser evil."

A completely new system is required - details of which are too many to post here.

If they want to spend money to get votes, the should just SPEND MONEY TO GET VOTES! My vote, for whatever, is available to anyone for the right price. Bidding starts at $100 - Obama or Romney, your choice - highest bidder gets the vote. Honestly - just skip the pretense and get down to the brass tacks. I got $20 for my for vote for Ted Stevens the last time Alaska voted for Senators (; Paying people to vote the way you want could to wonders to increase the rather dismal turnout rate (in the U.S.).

You can always use chits in a zip lock bag like we used to do before we could afford the dice (small kids, y aknow) - you can have a dAnything.

First Edition all the way - everything else sucks and is nothing more than a money grab.

No argument here. I think people should have to pay for "personal use" as well as commercial use.