I had a fleet of HP 8150s and 9000s that were solid laser printers. Multiple millions of pages across 50+ devices, even in public use areas (where users are a lot less gentle with clearing paper jams). 35k pages with an aftermarket high-capacity jumbo cartridge for $50-$100 (depending on model). Remanufactured fusers (often exceeding their 300k page lifetimes) and other consumables were plentiful and dirt cheap. Can't tell you how many "modern" HP LaserJets I repaired as favors for other departments that would have worn gear boxes, fusers ripping through their lifetime too quickly, etc. The printer division of HP thoroughly ruined their own reputation. And don't even get me started about the Xerox ColorCube... Plastic gearboxes on plastic studs mounted to a plastic frame.

As the sole beta tester, I'm sure this customer will have a much better technical support experience than the average customer. Aww, who am I kidding? They'll route her support calls through the seven layers of hell just like everyone else. I'd love to see the numbers on a fiber deploy to a single household...

> Money is a proxy here for the input/output ratio of resources, energy and labor.

You're ignoring the time factor. It's a valid proxy *when averaged over time*.

Not considering the time lag creates arguments like "don't invest in new science or technology if it's not immediately profitable". If people behaved this way universally, the various technology revolutions of the past would have never happened.

That's correct, there is no audible difference to a human between a 22kHz sine wave and a 22kHz any-other-shape periodic wave. Not to mention, no adult human can hear 22kHz anyway. I hear 16kHz. My 9-year-old can hear 19kHz. Get a frequency generator app and test yourself -- it's fascinating.

I think the word you're looking for is "diarrhetic". You see, one involves excessive pooping, whilst the other is for excessive urination. A subtle distinction, yes, but nevertheless an important one. The fact that these words are homophones is just a happy coincidence of linguistics.

You're arguing a false dichotomy. My made-up guy is neither Goofus nor Gallant -- he has the skills of Gallant, plus the initiative to do more. That's who I look for in my hires.

Goofus is a per-hour contractor -- you buy his time. Gallant is a per-piece contractor -- you buy his output. In an employee, I want neither -- I want someone who feels like they're part of the mission, and can identify work that needs to be done without some manager handing it to them. People who can do this well deserve to get paid more, get promotions, and still manage to keep a 40-hour week -- plus they get a sense of meaningful ownership of what they do.

They're both bad employees. The best employee is the one who does all his work in an hour, maybe takes a little break and has a snack, then says "Hey Boss, this took less time than expected. What else can I help with?". Your view expects the boss to know everything about all of his staff's work, which frankly is an outdated view outside of manufacturing and other simple, easily measurable areas. In today's complex "knowledge worker" (or pick your favorite buzzword) environment, employees tend to know more than their boss about the details of their work . . . which is a Good Thing (tm), as it increases everyone's capacity for meaningful work.

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." -- H. P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

QUICK, STOP ALL SCIENCE

Sounds like a very expensive donkey/mule replacement. Why not just use real animals?

> pro-U.S. propaganda: The Russian space program sucks.

I remember when I learned (well into adulthood) that the Russians had landed probes on Venus, and even sent photographs back from the surface. I was obsessed with space travel as a kid in the 80s, and really feel like that was kept hidden from me as an American student.

"Although Sam's Club no longer sells "The Brick Bible," the book is still available through a number of online retailers."

This sentence from TFA might give people the wrong impression that Sam's Club is the sole, omnipotent Super-Mega shop in the United States. I'm glad to know that I can still get my suggestive Lego books from any one of a couple thousand other retailers.

Kind of ironic that Wal-Mart (a corporation that often makes sales arguments based on religious overtones) would be willing to censor a book that is a direct interpretation of religious literature. I shutter to think what their reaction will be if someone decides to ink an uncensored graphic novel based on the Bible...

Google wants to help others make money (and make a little themselves) with one of their projects?

Forget Google search, I'm going with BING instead. Microsoft would never do this!

I'm waiting for Operation OMGWTFBBQ myself... Oh My, Government Wikileaks Task Force Better Be Quick!

I don't need huge total volume, I just want blisteringly fast for shortish periods.

In other words, porn.