I own my LPs, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes. What I don't own is the data on them, but the MAFIAA can't take them away like they can an Amazon or iTunes download. When you "buy" a download you're just renting.

My data stays on my own private network (unless I've been rooted). I can synch my own data, I don't need the Cloud Boys to do it for me and have the NSA hoover up everything I have (not that they couldn't if they wanted to but it would actually take effort, unlike when you use cloud services).

The Republican House Speaker called Edward Snowden a traitor. It's a bipartisan police state we now have (this isn't the first time I've said that). I wouldn't doubt if I were on the no-fly list but I haven't been on a plane since you could smoke inflight.

I say Boehner's the traitor, Snowden's a patriot who gave everything but his life (and still may) for his fellow Americans.

If you're against Snowden you're against freedom. That's one brave kid.

Unfortuantly, a large number of "low information" people who are still bitching about Bush, when he's been gone for 5 flippin' years and the new boss is FAR worse than the old boss.

Worse? Hardly. More like the same damned thing. A better comparison of Bush to a Democrat would be Blagojevich, Illinois' previous Governor (now in prison for selling Obama's Senate seat). Both were corrupt incompetents who appointed incompetent cronies to top positions... hmmm, Eric Holder? Nope, Obama isn't much different at all.

However, Obama hasn't started any needless wars (yet), hasn't tried to lower taxes on the rich, and hasn't destroyed the still struggling economy like Bush did. Obama's far from a great President, but he's better than Carter or Reagan. I never thought I'd see a worse President than Carter but Bush proved me wrong. Went into office with a booming economy and a balanced budget and peace, left office with the worst economy the US has seen since the Depression, the highest deficit we'd had in our history, and fighting two wars.

If you think Obama's a worse President than Bush you're a fool who was brainwashed by your fellow Republicans.

BTW, I voted Green Party, aka "none of the above." I'd have voted Libertarian but I like the clean air we didn't have before the EPA and I don't like eating toxic fish from filthy waterways. Being against environmental regulations is a show stopper for me; I was 20 when the environmental regs were passed and unlike you kids I know what it was like. Take it from a geezer, 1960 wasn't pretty.

By the way, I've been smoking pot since Obama was ten years old and I applaud the fact that he isn't sending the Feds to Washington and Colorado like Romney would have done. Plus, Romney is an evil job-destroying sociopath and there's no way possible he would have been better than Obama, bad as I think Obama is.

Stop voting for Republicrats. They're both bad, just in different ways.

It's not necessary. If I want to see if a check has cleared or look at my balance, I'll call them. I do check my credit card account online, though.

I've always heard that, but I've never truly believed it. I think the corruptible are drawn to power. Being power hungry must be a form of mental illness; I mean, who in their right mind would want to be President?

I suspect that the USSR was never so different from the way we were then as the propagandists would have us believe. Rigged elections? Media that didn't inform the public what was going on? Warfare and bullying as a way of achieving the top dog's "national" goals?

Not back then, no, but certainly now. Vietnam and Korea were really part of the cold war, Eisenhower won by a landslide, Kennedy won the states you'd expect him to, as did Nixon in the 1960 election, and if the media had been a propaganda machine you'd never have heard of the Kent State Massacre, the police overreactions to the Chicago Seven, and Pentagon Papers would have never seen the light and Daniel Ellsberg would have never worked again, probably jailed, and possibly assassinated.

It started slowly with Reagan's "War on Drugs" and slowly got worse until 911 when the slippery slope became a steep cliff.

Isn't that like a book proclaiming how bad literacy is?

It's not like Woz posted the clip. And I commend him for it, I couldn't have said it better myself. IMO the cloud is only good for things you want posted publicly.

Personally, I won't do online banking simply because the internet is an insecure form of communication, although I'll shop online with a credit card if necessary since the most it will cost is fifty bucks (and perhaps increased surveillance by the NSA if I buy the wrong book, like maybe 1984.)

Speaking of which, the NSA is cooking up more CYA lies for us. Is anybody stupid enough to believe anything the NSA says?

I'm on your "friends" list so you should get a heads up and a link to the journal in your "messages" notification.

It's like going to China and concluding based on a survey taken from people you meet there that no one speaks Portuguese.

Well, statistically, nobody does speak Portuguese.

I have that issue with Mr. Bean and most modern sitcoms where intended comedy is a product of greed, ignorance, lying and other negative aspects of personalities of the characters involved.

I haven't seen Mr. Bean, but that's how I feel about Seinfeld. It's like I'm supposed to find meanness and suffering funny. Obviously I'm in a tiny minority there, it was a highly rated show that lasted a decade and everyone I know thinks it's funny. I find it depressing. But if there was a reference to Seinfeld in a slashdot summary, I wouldn't jump in trying to get first post saying what a terrible show it was, even if I were a New Yorker and thought it made New Yorkers look like assholes. That's just trolling.

Happy Birthday to her then. :)

Thank you!

A well written book will can transport me (and let me admit here that I own a literary agency, and am the son of one of the golden age SF writers, a hugo, and other, award winner... I know at least a little bit about well written books.)

Yes, when I'm reading a well written story I'm transported to a different place as well. I feel sorry for those who don't read.

I'm also compelled to remind you that the real world disagrees with your perception.

Perception can never match reality, it's far too complex and we're far too simple.

I should send you a copy of Nobots when it's done (what's online is a crappy error-filled first rough draft).

It wasn't that driving while on the phone was worse than drunk driving, but that it was as dangerous. The difference is when you're drunk, you're drunk from when you start the trip until after you get there. With a phone you're only dangerous for the part of the trip you're on the phone. Plus, someone drunk is less likely to be wearing a seat belt than if they were sober.

I got the email, not in a hurry, though. I'm still not quite satisfied with the book. Will answer the email soon.

The lady I've been seeing lately is sane and normal, which would make boring reading. She's a widow 3 years younger than me.

I guess the more anybody does anything the better they get at it. I have to keep telling myself that those who think I suck just don't finish reading and move on, I think you guys think I'm better than I really am. I guess if I win a Hugo I'll finally believe I'm good, it's impossible to judge one's own work.

I just try to write what I'd want to read myself.

No, I'm guessing that there were no "probe marks", just broken bones, bruises, and brain damage. He never talked about the beating and robbery, I heard about that from others.

It's not uncommon in that neighborhood. One young girl lost an eye in a beating, when I met her she was sporting an empty eye socket. You don't want to ever see that! She has a glass eye now, they held a benefit fund raiser to pay for a glass eye. The saddest part was it was mistaken identity, they weren't beating who they thought they were beating.

There's a lot of violence and misery in the world.

That's true, but that's how it is.