I worked with tandy/radio shack computers for several years, right from the beginning (early 80's?). On one hand, they had the opportunity to blast past ibm and all the others, having everything in-house... design, mfg, distribution.... And, where were all the others when the Mod I came out, delivering true computing to the masses? It eventually had 5.25 in floppies, up to 4 of them, hard drives, and memory expansion boxes! and let's not forget the os called TRSDOS! that called it :C, rather than C:! The Mod II was a true business machine, with some of the best, and perhaps almost only, affordable accounting software available over the counter, WITH support! (ignore it began written in basic, then grew up into cobol) The beloved Coco brought gaming to anyone with a tv set; they had laptops, palm-tops, and even dedicated 'internet' boxes, although internet wasn't what they called it at that time. They had networking that actually worked, and it went into countless school classrooms, quite successfully! ...and they even went out on a limb to jump above the 8086 pc-types... remember the 80-186??? as used in the tandy 2000 series, with 'high' graphics and color? It also ran the first version of turbo cad, now in it's 16th edition. It beat the pants off whatever else was out there at the time. So what happened? It seems the penny pinchers decided to hire dumb engineers (most of the 'repair' jobs on tandy mod I, coco were more re-engineer jobs and quick-fix patchups, rather than simply replacing a broken part). And they seemed to be run by folks who didn't even know what a computer was, because at a time when the whole industry was poised to leap-frog into the 21st century, tandy said, noooo, let's limit what we do in this field, it won't go anywhere anyhow! One of the last straws was to hire 'outsiders' to run the company, but actually were axe-men, who brought great upheaval into the company with stringent dress codes and policies that stiffled creativity and initiative, and eventually buried the division. If you knew the product line, you knew they had the 'up' on just about everyone, and coulda, shoulda been the tops, but instead, they trashed it all with some of the dumbest decisions made by corporate execs! (do ya know ANYONE who reveres the tandy/radio shack name????) thanks fer lis'nin' seekertom

well, h4 (hope i've got the name ok) seems to me you see the light, concerning what the REAL problems are in both our countries. But there are also lots of folks that see the light as well. My question is this... what are we going to do about fixing things, and when the hell are we going to begin? (Not to mention the biggest question of all: CAN we do anything about it????) I say this because of at least one example that is close to my heart (ie wallet)... we have a group in Florida that is supposed to be the consumer's advocate between us and the power company. When asked about why no rebates for lowering consumption, they simply replied that if we lower our consumption, big power will just ask for-and get- a rate hike to keep their profits high, ie, we pay more to use less!. So what does this have to do with it? If we have NO SAY in regulating a single power company, what chance have we in controlling our government??? My tea-time brother, we are in very deep shite! Do YOU have any idea which way to go? thanks fer lis'nin' seekertom

Don't do this unless you want to solve the problem... use an old pc system. I do. I have several, all different levels of modernization, back to the pc w/ 5 1/4 floppies, and the xt's, and the 186's, 286's, 386's. Each has its own particular strong points, and the games i happen to enjoy, the 2d's like commander keen, xargon, duke nukem etc, run just fine on those systems. Ya, not everyone has the room or the expertise to keep these babies running. I'm lucky, I guess... I have both. But it's worth it to me not to have to waste time reinventing the wheel. thanks fer lis'nin' seekertom

Methinks if gamers need to see real ads to feel real when they 'game', then they are getting bombarded with waaaayyyy too many ads in the real, real world. (this ad is brought to you by the un-named company listed above, and discredits itself and submits that users will all eventually die after using this ad, due to a little-advertised but well known defect in advertising.) thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

If you are right for the job in the first place, teach them to think. Teach them how to analyze. Teach them how to see things. Teach them the value of an open mind. Give them the raw materials of problem-solving, not the specifics of 'how to grow worms in your backyard'. Remember the old story about don't give them fish, rather, teach them how to fish? Whatever your choice of project, keep the project secondary, only an excuse to think deeply. Thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

I have this belief that our world is going in the direction of unitary control. Some would call this conspiracy theory. I call it reality. But I digress... you made the point of that which will make this shift in power possible... people will never revolt and make necessary repairs and corrections as long as they feel secure as they are. Give them a bone while you cut off a tail and listen to them purr. It's the old adage about the frog and the water: put a frog into hot water and he jumps about frenetically, screaming and trying to get out of the pot. But put him into cool water, and raise the temperature a degree at a time, slooooowly, and he will remain at peace until well cooked. That's what they are doing to us, and that's how they will win.... unless..... more of us realize what's going on! thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

Too bad there aren't more people than there are who see things the way you do. I applaud your way of putting it. It isn't culture, or a mixing thereof that is the problem in any immigration discussion... the word to consider is RESPECT. When you move into another's neighborhood, city or country, you must RESPECT it and those who live there already. Our problem with immigrants today is that they come and have no respect for us or what we've endured to get where we are.... they just come to get the goodies, and as you say, work to subvert what we have into what they've just left and screwed up on their own soil. OUR problem isn't intolerance of races and cultures; we lack understanding of what we don't like about immigration, and we've allowed political correctness to make us believe we are wrong for wanting to protect and preserve OUR lives and society. Your assessment of predatory religions is also dead-on. That applies to all of them! As for checking your innards at the gate, don't let them fool ya.... it's not what they want you to believe! thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

Just an observation.... the driving, cell-talkers I see are just plain crappy drivers from the git-go! (Reason I see them talking is because I looked at them because of their crappy driving. ) They don't have a clue about 'driving in context', and don't see anything wrong with driving the speed limit or below, even if it means there are a hunnert honking cars behind them, all flashing their lights and fingers. They are in another world! These kinds of drivers are dangerous even without a cell phone! But WITH one, they are more than a menace. I can't image one of THEM, a bit near-sighted, leaning over the console to get a closer look at the dash mount to see where they are.... Me? I talk and drive. But I drive FIRST, and talk secondarily. I also follow the rules of the road in the first place.... 1) Keep up or Move Over! 2) Drive between the dotted lines! 3) Don't hit nuttin'! thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

Easiest way is just keep the page flat! For many cases, a thin piece of metal, plastic etc clipped behind the page being photoed would do it. Of course it's work, but if there are just a few pages, it's worth the effort. 'sides, it works and it's cheap! In case you aren't home where the metal is, just use another book's cover. thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

You are right, REAL crashes hit indeterminately, but in crashes such as these which are designed for comparison purposes, the test was a sham! To be real, both cars would have hit head-on. In this case, the new car had the full-frontal protection, smacked squarely across the front bumper, while the poor ol' timer had to put up with a car driven right into the driver's seat from the quarter. Where's the comparison to that? I wonder how the new Malibu would have fared if it had been hit by the Bel Aire at the same angles as in their test? jes' wonderin' thanks for lis'nin' seekertom ps, I DO agree that newer cars are made better and safer, btw!

If it's American Tax-payer dollars funding it, please spend the money on American soil, using American companies, American technology, and of course, American workers! thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

I agree with your sentiments. We have allowed our govts to become monsters, and whether by design or by failure, they have come far, to totally undo us. But what can we expect from people who vote for such as we have? There are lots of folks out there who really live by two credos:1) Don't confuse me with the facts... my mind's made up! and 2) I'd rather die in hell than let someone show me I'm wrong about anything! Don't count on any of them making things better. I try to talk to lots of folks, but most are still unwilling to believe that NASTY things can, and WILL happen to us, very soon! Some day enough little folks will wake up and realize how bad it really is, and do the open window and scream 'I'm mad as hell and I won't take it any more...' trick. It'll be a revolution. I do hope not a violent one. I'd like to see one where our elected officials, if for no other reason than because they want to keep their jobs, begin to serve us, and not live their lives as if they are the rulers and we are the subjects. As for me, let the idiots in power repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot and continue doing harm to freedom. One day, either we will wake up or they will. thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

I clicked on the 'mirror' link and saw the two scenes, top with a black guy at the table, lower with a white guy's head. However, clicking on the link above the lower pic brought me to the polish site, and the pic there has not been altered. Maybe I'm wrong, but looks like the slashdotters have been hoodwinked, and ms really didn't do the dasterdly deed at all! Corrections humbly accepted if offered.... thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

Again, you said it... 70 years the same story. Why has it not changed? I believe it's because we really don't see/believe the tyrannie, and besides that, we're not unhappy enough with our circumstances to move to change things, yet. I don't believe progress means watching the pendulum swing back and forth and that's how things get 'fixed'. Consider this... in a heartbeat, we have been handed (we never asked for it) jobs lost due to outsourcing and un-balance of trade agreements, illegal aliens up the gazoo, and the govt handing out billions to business executives with absolutely no oversight to the distribution of same. None of these things are the results of any pendulum swing, and the pendulum won't fix the damage already done. It's up to the folks like you and I who bitch and complain, and help each other keep our thoughts on track, to make the difference. We've gotta stand up and decide what we want, and then go for it. Me? I want America returned to the American people. I don't want any more 'they' are the rulers and 'we' are the indentured servants. Democracy is a responsibility. I think we have shirked that responsibility for too long. We need to begin monitoring congress more closely, and keep them in line. No more fleece, no more pork, no more gold-service for them. As for the time frame, I only used the 20 year figure thinking it was in both our lifetimes of personal experience. We've both seen better in some aspects of life, worse in others, but do we really need to be bounced back and forth? Is it unreasonable to want a statement of purpose that we can agree on and follow it? (wasn't the Declaration of Independence just that?) Do we all want to be part of the 'new world order'? Why don't we get to vote on such radical changes to our way of life? thanks for lis'nin' seekertom

Well said, and well felt. However, I'm not talking about absurdity, only working on the fact that corruption is still corruption even though laws protect it. As far as folks 'hating' govt officials, look around you and tell me you are PROUD of them and their behavior. As for our Constitution, I think there have been so many laws, bills and words enacted that its true meaning has been significantly altered, and not always in our favor! Isn't it true that the Supreme Court 'Interprets' the law? And a liberal court acts liberally etc etc? And aren't they chosen by the same govt that many of us are ashamed of and do not trust? Actually, I missed the point of WHY the gal did her deed. It makes a difference. Was she one of the druggies who got caught and she's seeking revenge, or was she an innocent bystander who got mauled and wants to expose the weakness of the undercover system? I don't want to be able to holler 'fire' in a movie theater, but when I see a bad guy doing bad things, I DO want to be able to let the world know what I've seen, and maybe let the world judge who's wrong. Your heart is in the right place, but I hope you do not let idealism shield you from reality. The world, our beautiful America ain't what she used ta be, and we need to decide which direction she goes from here out. As for me, if ya can't play your cards on the table, move out of the room, please. thanks for lis'nin' seekertom