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Comment Re:Novell already did this (Score 5, Interesting) 460

I know this meme with the I'm a *insert* has gotten out of hand, but this whole concept reminds me of the fact that no one ever seems to remember that linux isn't an OS. Red Hat is, Debian is, Ubuntu is... nevertheless my idea was this:

(wannabe hipster walks up): I'm a Mac.

(up steps the old middle management guy): I'm a PC.

(scene FILLS with people, 200-300, all dressed in various profession/regional/ethnic attire): *in unison* We, are Ubuntu.

Novel may have info, but people don't pay attention to info. Get their attention with the bagel, then hit them with the book, it's the only way to keep them from eating the pages.

Comment Re:not unrealistic at all (Score 1) 396

Admittedly, I've not managed employees in a corporate environment, but I have in a call center (granted, a rather small one). In that situation it was drastically cheaper to hire two or three part timers than one full timer. Perhaps this is due to the state we were in, but the taxes we paid weren't large and part time employees didn't qualify for unemployment unless they worked more than 35 hours a week. What with income tax actually being taken from the employees wages and not an extra expense for us, it worked out like follows.

12 part employees making $9 an hour, could work a total of 30 hours each per week, equaling 360 work hours.
For every employee we had over 3 the state treasury charged us $35 per quarter ($85 for full time), minus the 12 part timers we had 1 owner and 2 managers (yes, small call center).
Since we paid no other fees at all, no medical and no taxes that weren't deduced from the employees wages, and the cost of 8 extra telephones and smart terminals was tiny ($250 or so for each, and in 4 years we had to replace one, once) the cost was roughly $170,160 a year. Hell, let's pretend we bought new phones and fancy computers every year for, say, $800 a piece. Add that in and it comes to $179,760.

Now, Had that been 6 full timers, granted we'd have bought fewer phones, but, each one of them would be getting 20 hours a week at time and a half, each working 60 hours a week.
Plus, they *do* qualify for unemployment so we'd have had to pay into that, as well provide them with some manner of health care most likely (who works 60 hours a week without benefits?).
Let's add up the basics before even bothering with unemployment, 6 people at 40 hours regular pay plus the 20 at time and a half comes to $196,560...

Wow, haven't even stated adding in state and federal fees and part timers are cheaper *after* fees for the same number of work hours by $26,000 ($16k if you figure the new machines) annually. The costs to the business for 12 even full time employees from the state/fed don't even remotely come close to costing more than $20k a year. Start adding in those fees and the costs just go up.

In most work environments, part time is cheaper by far. That's why part time exists. But, if you have a desk, and an access card, and your own email address... remember, you are not in an average work environment.

Comment Re:not unrealistic at all (Score 1) 396

Indeed, as an employee one always must consider what the needs of the boss are. Company first. Self second. After all... it's not like there is anything else to do, and if you don't do it, someone else will.

On the other hand...

It's in most cases actually cheaper to pay two part-time employees than one full-time. For one, you are paying the same hourly rate regardless of how many checks you write. You pay for 60 hours of work, it's the same amount if you pay one person or if you pay three. Also, part-time gets no overtime, so no wage increase. Part-time also gets no benefits or stock options and such-like.

Comment Re:Too Many Traps (Score 2, Interesting) 330

On state non-restricted access highways there is no such requirement, and the speed limit can be determined by the local municipality. It's not uncommon at all to be driving along at 55mph and see a sign that says speed limit 25. And according to most state's laws, the speed limit is in effect not at the point in the road where the sign *is* but at the point where it is visible. Yes, many small towns (population a few hundred or less) in rural America use this as their sole source of municipal income.

Comment Re:Anonymity (Score 2, Insightful) 127

That is a point certainly, but the question would be was the project they contributed to GPL at the time they contributed, and if not, did they retain the rights to their code, and if so, did they consent to their contributions being licensed in this manner. Muddy, curly and all manner of other words that describe a messy situation, but I'd bet a few lawyers out there wouldn't mind spending a few years arguing over it.

Comment Re:Let's Detoxify Our Arguments (Score 1) 430

As a parent (though I wasn't at the time) I have no idea how any parent could react to something like the Columbine shootings with a desire to censor the infobaun. Was the glorious infobaun a part in anyway of what they did? I don't recall it being so. They didn't build bombs with downloaded plans, they didn't use online tools to do any kind of organizing. What they did do was buy weapons and ammo from a department store and go crazy.

I do at the time remember a lot of folks trying to blame all manner of things, including one of my favorite music groups - a group I can't wait to expose my kid to because frankly a lot of their message is extremely positive.

What nearly no one at the time didn't was blame the two kids that did it. Right, there'd be no justice if we did that I guess, cause they offed themselves before they could be punished, but oh well. That was who was at fault.

Restrict kids access to firearms and ammo without parental consent/presence? Good idea. Keep kids from packing in school? Another good idea. Censor the internet? Why? What does that have to do with anything.

Comment Re:Last Transmission? (Score 1) 154

Indeed, I've seen the film may times and adore it, but Kubrick didn't come close to touching the moment the book captured. Here was a being, made for a thing, doing everything he could for that thing, and yet, the best thing was for it to cease being, knowing, as you slowly killed it's mind (think coma patients, the doors kept working after the mind died) that it's perception of the best way forward was flawed and that the only chance of success was death. I think that in the story Hal knew he was the obstacle, but couldn't understand the way beyond himself.

If only we all could see this.

Comment Re:Sad. RIP (Score 1) 388

Clark wrote an introduction for the 2001 books in a later publication where he explained how the book/movie happened. Apparently Kubrick wanted him to write a movie for him but suggested that he write it as a novel due to screenplays being very dry and nearly impossible to read (this is so true if you ever have to read one). Seems the two began having a life of their own, with Kubrick deciding to change moons at the last minute due to him feeling that his effects team couldn't create a convincing Saturn. In the sequels of the book Clark decided he preferred Kubrick's version and edited history accordingly. Personally I always thought that was a shame, the 2001 book course of events was much better I always thought. Especially the part where Dave failed to rush off in a pod without a space suit to try to rescue a corpse. Him doing that in the movie I always felt was the weakest point in the story.

Look at me: still talking when there's science to do!

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