OS X had me at pbcopy/pbpaste.

"=> What is the gain in using this?"

Well, put it this way. Consider yourself lucky that you have skill in cooking and enjoy all the work that goes with it (spending time and gas driving back and forth from the grocery store, standing in line, working over the stove, cleaning up afterward, keeping an inventory of ingredients).

Personally I detest all those things, and rather spend my time playing games or musical instruments, or working out, or riding a bike. Or anything else, really. And I think that's perfectly okay, and Soylent fits my lifestyle nicely, and complements well the times when I do decide to eat for pleasure, out with friends and such.

Here is a webcomic.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/c...

132 is the number. Do it.

Right on.

Case in point: the people with some of the highest paychecks today are the gamblers on Wall Street. They cheat and game the system, skim off the top of the financial markets, simply because they can. They contribute nothing. They produce nothing. And yet they reap the greatest rewards.

And how about CEO's who sit on each others' boards of directors voting for ridiculous salaries for themselves. Politicians and lobbyists. Need I go on?

And calling someone an idiot because you take a phrase as literal when it was likely intended as figurative, well, that's just harsh.

Just trying to keep it civil in here. :)

Yes I see your point, as far as the market/trading system overall as an economic boon. Supply and demand help dictate where resources are placed, and it self-corrects when well-managed. No disagreement there.

My point:
Factory workers produce goods. Software developers produce goods.
What do day traders produce, specifically the ones who use these "algos" and other insider systems to skim billions off the top of the market? How is that in any way not simply equivalent to cheating at gambling?

Fair enough, I completely agree as far as that goes. Technology and progress have added great comfort and quality to our lives, obviously.

But I took the "average joe working hard as ever" comment as figurative rather than literal, not really intended as a comparison of today to yesterday. At least that's the sense I got from the context of the post.

Be careful calling people idiots when you completely miss the point. It reflects poorly on you.

My grandfather worked and produced something. He tilled the fields, raised crops and livestock. It was a hard life, almost subsistence farming, just keeping his family clothed and fed.
My father worked in a factory, producing physical goods. Maybe he did not "work as hard" as his father, but there was value in his output.
I do software. I don't "work as hard", physically speaking, as my forebears. But my product contributes to intangible goods that are bought and sold internationally, automates elements of people's lives, and arguably has significant value.

Day traders produce exactly two things: personal wealth, and market instability. They add nothing to the GDP, and are basically leeches. Imagine if everyone quit their jobs and became day traders. Nobody would be producing any goods and the economy would collapse instantly. The leeches would have nothing on which to feed.

Foolish mammal, they cannot be defeated so easily. http://xkcd.com/292/

What is the practical difference between science and religion with respect to determining truth?
Observe this handy flowchart.

Well I would possibly buy this if not for a couple incongruencies:
1. No legislation required the realtors to deliberately lie to people about how much house they could afford.
2. The bankers and Wall Street managers deliberately lied about the value of these mortgage-based assets, in order to multiply their personal wealth by repackaging and reselling those assets.
If in the course of business, you lie to make money, essentially commit fraud, the "evil liberals made me do it" excuse does not fly. Looks to me more like greedy short-sighted people taking advantage of well-meaning legislation, which should have been better written to prevent that sort of thing, or not passed at all.

His other works include Rollercoaster Bowling and DM of the Rings
Very worthwhile stuff, and an all around cool guy.