If you had to manage a large number of desktops, Windows 95 was a godsend. It replaced all those arcane .ini files with a single registry, and it made device management immeasurably easier.

I'm supportive of this campaign, but I'm turned off by their $50.00 USD minimum for individual donations. I don't have a lot of spare income, but will often donate $5 or $10 to what I think is a good cause. I've always assumed that if enough people do likewise, my small contribution will add up to something significant.

The only reason I can think of to justify a minimum contribution amount would be if they are issuing receipts for tax deductions and there is some cost involved in doing so. Even if that case, however, they could simply have a statement that says tax receipts won't be issued for donations below a certain amount.

There was an epsiode of Late Night with David Letterman back in the 1980's where they invited the world's fastest typist for a demonstration of her skills. Having gotten their hands on her typewriter before the show, they detached the metal ball with all the typefaces on it and reattached it in the wrong orientation. All her typing came out as complete jibberish. I still laugh when I think about that gag.

I've been dealing with hardware failures for 20+ years. What I've learned is that disasters WILL happen, regardless of what preventive measures are in place. So I shifted my focus toward recoverablity. To me, the important question is "When something catastrophic happens, how quickly and easily can I put things back in working order"?

Since I use RAID where appropriate, and more importantly, I am positively fanatic about frequent, full, and tested backups, the only concern I have when a hard drive dies is whether I'm still entitled to a warranty replacement.

THAT'S the bit that f*cking blows my mind. That and when movie theatres started subjected us to bloody TV ADS before the movie!

Somebody mod that HILARIOUS!

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TekSavvy is one of Canada's smallest ISP's. Large telcos like Telus are required by the CRTC to allow little guys like TekSavvy access to their copper in order to foster some competition in the industry. The big guys dislike companies like TekSavvy because they sell unlimited data plans, and they've been fighting for some time to impose surcharges based on data useage.

When I hear that copyright enforcers are going after a little player like TekSavvy, I can't help but wonder if the larger ISP's are in collusion.

"In Kazakhstan we have many hobbies: disco dancing, archery, rape, and table tennis".

I don't see any API links on those sites. Is it possible to configure them as search providers in automated download tools like SickBeard and CouchPotato?

If you're happy with the performance of the optical drive from your old rig, why don't you just install that drive in your new rig and continue using it?

Get one of those tools that's like a telescoping radio antenna with a small magnet on the end. Eventually you are going to drop a screw into an awkward place where you can't just leave it because it could short something out.

I know it's a bit off-topic, but I feel similary pissed off when I'm subjected to television ads before a watching a movie at a theatre. Maybe it's because I'm old enough to remember when this wasn't the case, but I consider it outrageous to be subjected to ads after paying for an expensive ticket and overpriced refreshments.

The first time a TV ad appeared, we should have thrown our drinks at the screen and tore the stuffing out of the seats, but we're too docile here in Canada to riot unless there's a hockey game involved.

Not to mention, groups such as the Amish and the Mennonites are living right now with minimal reliance on modern technologies. Survivalists could probably learn a lot from studying how these religious communities subsist.

FTA:

Honestly, if you're going to have a bunch of 27HP motors with hydraulics kicking around, (and fuel to run them), how big of a challenge is it to mechanize things?

I think a true post-apocalyse scenario should focus on relearning the now-forgotten survival skills of past generations. Simple, fundamental things that were once widely known, such as how to grow and store crops, mill lumber, weave fabrics, make soap, etc. Assume that available sources of power will be draft animals, water and wind mills, or your own hands. Don't assume there will be a gas station open for business down the street.