I have residential cable and business internet (yeah, for static IP). Every month or two, Comcast residential calls me up to get me to sign up for internet, and Comcast Business calls me to sell me cable TV. Both want me to sign up for phone service, too.

While it's getting better, MP3s you legally buy have relatively low bitrates. With a CD, I can rip based on my requirements and limitations. For example, I can determine if space or quality is more important, given the storage size and qualities of my speakers. I still buy CDs to have a physical back-up in case of HD failure, and to be able to rip to a newer technology in the future.

You seriously expect every piece of software to act as its own firewall, instead of a system-wide firewall?

Except I want my legal music collection to be accessible to computers within my home (DLNA server), but if external computers have access (without use of a VPN), I may be guilty of illegal sharing. Ditto for other things which should be available on a LAN, but not be public facing.

I think you misspoke. It's irresponsible to think an external firewall will take care of it, so every computer / virtual machine should have its own. However, it's asking for trouble to allow untrusted traffic to arrive to any software. Just being accessible opens it up for a DDoS attack.

I grew up in Hawaii and Utah:
calm: pronounce the l
half: haff
salmon: sammon
balk: pronounce the l
would: wood
should: shood

I obviously make more than minimum wage (I think that's true of most, if not all /.ers), but am still in the middle class. The proposals raise the minimum wage without addressing those earning more. My buying power goes down for every dollar per hour more that minimum wage increases, unless my salary also increases. I don't want or enjoy other people suffering, but I must first meet my own needs (and I do mean needs and not wants).

Maybe we should get contracts where are salaries are X times minimum wage (or cost of living) instead of a strict Y dollars.

The article cites data which shows that locally raising taxes doesn't destroy local jobs. The people who argue that higher wages means a loss in employment (or higher cost of living) rely on it happening universally. The locals earning a higher wage can purchase goods produced in an area with a lower wage, thus costs to individuals and companies haven't increased. If all states raised the minimum, there wouldn't be any domestic low-wage alternatives; people and companies would have to pay more or import from other countries.

Hawaii became a territory of the US in 1889, then a state in 1959. Guiana is an Oversees department of France, and not a colony.

You forgot the all important kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk that Brazilians use

I set off fireworks to celebrate Brasil's win over Argentina in the world cup. I kinda doubt that celebration was limited to the USA

Does Hobby Lobby choose which stocks are included in their 401k, or do they outsource to a financial institution?

Funny, that's been my stance my entire adult life. My sect is fine with contraceptives, but sees most abortions as sinful (obvious exceptions exist, such as terminating a pregnancy caused by rape). I share this view, but recognize that others may disagree. Just don't make me pay for it.

We didn't have assigned stalls in the parking lot (indeed, the stalls weren't even numbered). In non-game days it was first-come first-served. Each resident was allowed to register a single vehicle with the office. Temporary passes were available for visitors, and parking stickers were only enforced after hours or on game day.

I lived in a town home in a college town. Our landlord rented our parking lot out during football games. The landlords made big bucks, but residents had to prove they lived there in order to avoid the parking fee.