Comment GOOG411 (Score -1) 150
Probably the most useful of the lot.
Comment Re:Set up a premium number (Score 1) 97
*highfive*
House Republicans Roll Out Legislation To Overturn New Net Neutrality Rules 550
An anonymous reader writes: U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and 31 Republican co-sponsors have submitted the Internet Freedom Act (PDF) for consideration in the House. The bill would roll back the recent net neutrality rules made by the FCC. The bill says the rules "shall have no force or effect, and the Commission may not reissue such rule in substantially the same form, or issue a new rule that is substantially the same as such rule, unless the reissued or new rule is specifically authorized by a law enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act." Blackburn claims the FCC's rules will "stifle innovation" and "restrict freedom." The article points out that Blackburn's campaign and leadership PAC has received substantial donations. from Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon.
Comment Exception, not rule. (Score 1) 98
I've only had good experience with staffing agencies.
That's a rarer bird than a good full-time job. Realistically, the only enitity that has any good experience is the agency itself.
Because it's easy for them to let you go, that means they're also more willing to take risks in hiring you. I was able to get a job really fast right out of college with one, which helped establish my new skill set. Few people want to permanently hire somebody with a degree and no experience because it's too easy to find somebody who is a dud, even if they have a 4.0 GPA like I did.
This is a bigger reason why staffing agencies should be subject to the same laws as labor unions - even if it means that joining a staffing agency isn't a condition for accepting work at a given organization. If it really is about "flexibility" and not benefit-dodging "disposability", then they would welcome the challenge of competing with better forms of work.
The IT/tech world doesn't take well to third party representation, whether it is a staffing agency or a labor union - for the same reasons.
Comment A preventive measure against legislation? (Score 1) 98
It seems like it's a preventative measure against legislation that would affect staffing agencies.
If they bring in those individuals, they can effectively immunize against the others that aren't brought in from the cold.
Comment Re:Perhaps he sees the writing on the wall in Russ (Score 1) 671
Luck, and pumping information to the FSB are the only things keeping him alive, trophy status being a side effect. Illegal disclosures from beyond the grave would only hurt the people doing them.
Do not expect that these deeds will go unpunished by subsequent administrations or that the odds will be in his unending favor.
Comment Re:Great, now we can all act... (Score 1) 145
Hey, Person of Interest is on CBS, that does a good job of dramatizing the AI Eschaton. And the protagonists are working against the corrupt powers that be, to boot.
Comment Too bad Harlan would sue to block it... (Score 1) 331
I fully expect that Manuel (Man) Davis to be a hard nosed, chisel-jawed, Lunar cop working closely with his partner, Mycroft Holmes (probably a robot) to defeat a crime syndicate.
Make it a series on Netflix and I'm all on that. We haven't had a decent sci fi comedy on TV since Quark.
Comment Re:Set up a premium number (Score 3, Funny) 97
I pick up spam calls only when I'm overseas.
"Nej, det är lite för dyrt till mig just nu... Så jag önskar dig Gott Kineskiskt Nytt År från Guangzhou och en jättebra kväll! Tack för att du spelar!"
Comment Re:Not so wonderful. (Score 1) 187
You want quality? Pay for it, but don't pretend that it comes from old gurus hands instead of robotic assisted manufacture.
I do and still end up seeing the same things. Once something gets hit by the ugly stick of globalization, it doesn't matter what you pay - the result is a lesser product.
Comment Re:There might be hope for a decent adaptation (Score 5, Insightful) 331
Don't forget that was one of the real arguments for the revolution.
Trade with Earth was bleeding them of water and would eventually lead to the colony's collapse.
They could probably have been self-sufficient if they hadn't been forced to send grain to Earth. But being a bunch of transportees and convicts, they didn't get a say in the matter.
Good luck explaining the finer points of a closed-cycle ecology, economics and politics in a 2-hour movie.
Trade with Earth was bleeding them of water and would eventually lead to the colony's collapse.
They could probably have been self-sufficient if they hadn't been forced to send grain to Earth. But being a bunch of transportees and convicts, they didn't get a say in the matter.
Good luck explaining the finer points of a closed-cycle ecology, economics and politics in a 2-hour movie.
Comment Re:I am so exited. This will be great. (Score -1) 331
Yeah, "great". Fucking moron.
Comment Re:Uhhh, coincidence? (Score 1) 178
Captain Flint buried them in the Templar^H pirate vault on Oak Island. Long John Silver's looking in the wrong damn hemisphere.
Comment Re:So let's give a number scail so we can't self t (Score -1) 134
scail?
Comment Re:The Optimistic viewpoint hade a source (Score 1) 233
Please go read the recent BBC interview with an ex-jihadi to see some of the ways that al-Qaeda has been taking Islamic teachings out of context and twisting them to suit their purposes.
