Used WhatsApp as an alternative to SMS, but security issues and acquisition by Facebook drove me off. And I didn't want to pay a subscribtion for something as trivial as an unencrypted chat.

After looking at alternatives, I made a decision to switch to Telegram, looks and feels almost exactly the same, has an open source, free and open API, desktop client, end-to-end encryption and is free. For now it is financed by Digital Fortress fund (although I would donate should the need arise).

Why not Telegram, then?

As someone who has worked at a casino for several years, I would say that the opposite is the case: game addiction is in some aspects worse than substance addiction *because* it does not have a chemical substance. That means no nicotine patches, no alcohol-free beer, no replacement therapy.

UMO, MMOs and farmville-like games are built on the same psychological principles as slot machines. They extract money on a slower rate therefore they end up consuming more of addict's time. But the principle of pressing a button and getting a reward is very similar.

Anyway, as it is the case with any addiction: simply trying to cut off the incentives won't help if you don't deal with underlying psychological problems. Bootcamp is a rather radical attempt of treating the addiction, it might be overkill. Would be interesting to see the stats on remissions though.

Opensuse 13.1, did 'grep [first four letters of my Wi-Fi password] /etc/ -R'. No results. FUD?

It's an old myth, actually. The STG-44 is more similar to the VZ-58 rifle that the Czechs used. And yes, VZ-58 and AK47 are very different despite the apperances.

But to clarify the original topic: the similarities end when you put the two weapons apart (even putting apart is different). The locking systems between the AK and the StG44 are completely two different designs. The StG44 has a modular trigger pack design whereas the AK does not. The original AK47 had a machined receiver (although early prototypes were stamped, the Russians abandon the stamped receiver until later models of the AK were developed). The StG44 is completely stamped. Oh, and the receiver's construction is different. Also, the AK uses a rotating bolt and the Stg44 a tilting bolt.

They do use a similar gas system (long-stroke), but neither the AK or the StG44 pioneered this method of operation. They both use pistol grip stocks... but again, this wasn't a completely new concept. The "banana" magazines look similar, but that's just a convenient method of storing ammo due to the natural curvature of these rounds when stacked in a magazine.

Just look at those guys: they don't need to take our freedoms with draconian DRMs and bought legislation. Their programs can be freely copied, in fact, their whole business model depends on the software being copied at no cost!

What do they earn their money with, you ask? With high-quality cryptographic security service! Truly, a business model of the future.

They are not blaming pesky pirates for their losses, they don't whine that someone uses their work without permission. They work harder, are creative and produce high-quality product. And that is their key to success!

Well, in this particular case they kind of do.

Is the price difference that big between US and EU? I can order a replacement for 75W incandescent for 12€ and a replacement for 60W for 10€ here. So even 8 bulbs would be under 100€ for me. But I think I'm lucky enough to think of it as of a trivial cost (no family yet).

And yes, when I move out, I'll take my LEDs with me.

There is a long run with LED's. But you don't have to wait long before the savings start: I got 12W LED bulb for 12€, they're as bright as 75W incandescent. For other room I got a replacement for 60W for about 10€ (about 7W).

I've calculated a bit and came up to a conclusion that at a current electricity cost an LED bulb pays off within 2 years. That figure depends on usage, of course, but I've only replaced those bulbs which fit into the calculation. Incidentally, they have a mandatory 2 years warranty so I don't really have to worry about the lifetime of the LEDs at all. Any time after the warranty expires is a bonus anyway. As for the bulbs I use less frequently: they will be replaced when they break. After replacing several incandescents around the house I have a backlog of them anyway. By the time I'll need to buy a new one, I'll be having enough LED's that have already paid off themselves.

My parents went the CFL route couple of years ago and they turned out to be better off as well cost-wise. The CFLs have some disadvantages though: the warm-up time is on top of my list. Still, my parents can replace some of the CFLs with LEDs and still be better off than they would be with old technology!

True, the electricity cost here is higher than in the US, it contributes to the calculation. But I still support the ban: IMO It did put the right pressure on the manufacturers and made cool LED technology cheap much more quickly. The only real losers are the luddites who bought large quantities of incandescent bulbs before the ban.

As for the residue heat: at the infrared footprint of the LEDs is much lower, there are much fewer insects in the summer. Besides, there is not much use in heating the ceiling anyway.

Eat shit? No, I'm not going to Britain no matter how obese I am.

USSR used 11 timezones, actually. What exactly do you mean by "operated all on Moscow time"?

I'm sure Red Bull would be eager to sponsor such a thing.

If I am not mistaken, in Europe the banks have to show the total sum a person will have to pay before issuing a credit.

> For Education, it's particularly unbalanced (depending on your tax structure), because taxing people who didn't go to college to pay for those who did it real economic unfairness.

At least in Germany people with higher education earn on average almost twice the money than those without (that includes the liberal science majors as well). Therefore they pay more than the double amount of taxes. So the paid education is a well done investition state-wise. Besides, zero tuition means that the universities get the brightest of all population and not only of the selected elite class. The society as a whole ends up with more qualified specialists and those specialists are more capable due to the broader pool to select from.

So you're telling me that not a single one of all the United States has a position like this? Or just no one who belongs to the two big parties? That tells me a thing or two about your democracy.