It sounds like the project you want [someone] to start, does this: reads a config file, looks at what modules ended up actually getting loaded, and then enables/disables config options, writes a new config file. Then your subsequent compiles can be faster and your /lib/modules can be smaller.

I suspect there are two problems for them in being too clear. First, I suspect they can't guarantee to reuse every cartridge - some of them will be damaged or contaminated, I imagine; second, they won't want to validate third party cartridge refills by admitting they actually do refills themselves! I recycle my Lexmark cartridges by mailing them back (with a prepaid shipping label they include with every new cartridge); my guess is they will refill and reset perfect-condition cartridges, recondition damaged or older ones, and recover the raw materials from unusable ones, but they won't want to be too open about the details. The "new" cartridges aren't exactly cheap, admitting they're sometimes actually refills would probably hurt sales.

make the entrants build a working prototype *first*, without any governmental money up front

Waitaminute, Congressman. Why would I fund your campaign, if you're not going to vote to give the public's money to me? I thought we had a deal: you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

I still buy CDs. They're (currently) the best way that I know of, to get music. Better ways are possible but aren't yet widespread.

Tell ya what: go to some live music bars tonight, and if you're lucky, you might find a band you never heard of that you really like. Tell me how you listen to their music the next day. Assuming you succeed (it's reasonably likely but far from guaranteed) I bet you will come up with an inferior approach to buying their CD from them. But maybe not: go on, teach me about a better approach.

Remember Comcast?

How i wish i had held on to that letter.

Amazon's reasoning for kodi being a pirate application is due to "there is hardware being sold that bundles software that is used to download illicit software". Where this software is being sold ? Amazon.

So essentially Amazon has no problem for hardware "vendors" selling preinstalled kodi w/ plugins that kodi foundation does not condone or even allow and even is fighting against but they have a beef against having the software itself in their store. Hypocrisy anyone?

The problem is essentially the same as with any other technology we've developed: it's evolving orders of magnitude more quickly than humans themselves are evolving, physically and socio-politically.

Physically and socio-politically?

I think you're implying that without the tech, future humans would be more adapted to better the consequences of tech. I call bullshit.

I don't know if we're much brainier than we were 5k years ago, but if we are, tech is what allowed us to put those precious nutrients and energy into brains instead of muscles.

Furthermore, tech is what allows us to "evolve" socio-politically. Without communications, you're hunter-gatherers who can sneakily backstab competitors without future consequences. Without nukes, it's viable (and possibly even sane, in a horrible evil way) to start a World War. Without tech, an otherwise perfectly admirable person gets sick and dies for no good reason. This goes on and on in so many nasty ways I don't wanna talk about.

The ensmallening(*) of the world is how we grow up. You might not like some of the directions it goes, but look where we're coming from.

We (humans) are not anywhere near ready to live in a world without borders

Maybe you're right, but you're casting it as though there's some progression where later, we might be ready. WTF are you talking about? Without tech you think we'll eventually become "wise beings of pure energy" from Star Trek or Babylon 5?

(*) Principle Skinner is telling me that's a cromulent word, so don't make fun of it.

It actually makes me think the requirement for a passport in the first place is a bit odd.

Sshhhhh! [waving arms frantically] Stop asking questions!

Instead of talking about the power requirements, I've had a different question nagging me for a few decades: Some plasma guns fire straighter than others, thanks to rifling?

If Facebook loses and citizens start pushing for similar laws in other states, it could keep our activities in public relatively anonymous for a bit longer.

No. Laws do not have the ability to put genies back into bottles.

Oh, what a dream that would be!

The temperature fluctuates here, iirc, between 72 and 75. 2 cubes over, registered 72.9 when mine registered 74.9. Air flow and the closed vent are major players here.

"They" need it? The musicians who want it, already have it. They'll sell you music. Buy it from them.

And if you simply must stream it, instead of playing it from local storage, then stream it from your file server.

Don't have a file server? Bad nerd!