Comment dat's rayciss (Score 1) 118
uh huh
Submission + - IT workers who train foreign replacements 'troubling' says White House (computerworld.com)
dcblogs writes: A top White House official told House lawmakers this week that the replacement of U.S. workers by H-1B visa holders is 'troubling' and not supposed to happen. That answer came in reponse to a question from U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) that referenced Disney workers who had to train their temporary visa holding replacements. Jeh Johnson, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said if H-1B workers are being used to replace U.S. workers, then "it's a very serious failing of the H-1B program." But Johnson also told lawmakers that they may not be able to stop it, based on current law. Ron Hira,an associate professor of public policy at Howard University who has testified before Congress multiple times on H-1B visa use, sees that as a "bizarre interpretation" of the law.
Comment paging keith lynch.... (Score 1) 166
doesn't the VA use this?
Submission + - A 'Star Trek' Economic System May Be Closer Than You Think
HughPickens.com writes: Anna North writes about “Star Trek’”s “post-economic” system, in which money no longer exists and anything you want can be made in a replicator, essentially for free. According to Manu Saadia, the author of “Trekonomics,” a forthcoming book about the economics of the “Star Trek” universe, when everything is free objects will no longer be status symbols. Success will be measured in achievements, not in money: “"Instead of working to become more wealthy, you work to increase your reputation," says Saadia. "You work to increase your prestige. You want to be the best captain or the best scientist in the entire galaxy. And many other people are working to do that, as well. It's very meritocratic"
In a time of rising inequality and stagnating wages, a world where everyone’s needs are met and people only work if they feel like it seems pretty far away but a post-scarcity economy is actually far more within reach than the technological advances for which “Star Trek” is better known. If productivity growth continues, Saadia believes there will be much more wealth to go around in a few hundred years’ time. In general, society might look more like present-day New Zealand, which he sees as less work-obsessed than the United States: “You work to live rather than the other way round.” Wealthy retirees today also already live an essentially post-money existence, “traveling and exploring and deepening their understanding of the world and being generally happy.” According to Saadia we're beginning to get a few hints of what the post-money, reputation-based economy might look like. "If you look at things like Instagram, Vine, places where people put a huge amount of work into basically just gaining a certain amount of reputation, it's fascinating to see. Or even Wikipedia, for that matter. The Internet has begun to give us a hint of how much people will work, for no money, just for reputation."
In a time of rising inequality and stagnating wages, a world where everyone’s needs are met and people only work if they feel like it seems pretty far away but a post-scarcity economy is actually far more within reach than the technological advances for which “Star Trek” is better known. If productivity growth continues, Saadia believes there will be much more wealth to go around in a few hundred years’ time. In general, society might look more like present-day New Zealand, which he sees as less work-obsessed than the United States: “You work to live rather than the other way round.” Wealthy retirees today also already live an essentially post-money existence, “traveling and exploring and deepening their understanding of the world and being generally happy.” According to Saadia we're beginning to get a few hints of what the post-money, reputation-based economy might look like. "If you look at things like Instagram, Vine, places where people put a huge amount of work into basically just gaining a certain amount of reputation, it's fascinating to see. Or even Wikipedia, for that matter. The Internet has begun to give us a hint of how much people will work, for no money, just for reputation."
Comment was this funded by cable companies? (Score 2) 529
anyone else wonder if the electrosensitivity "movement" has been funded by cable/ISP companies?
Comment can't get there from here: article 5 convention ?? (Score 1) 233
but you cannot take the money out of politics because washington is beyond our control...
you have to use the state legislatures to take back power from DC...do that with an article 5 convention of the state legislatures where 38 state legislatures could pass amendments to put the power back into state hands
Comment we'll all be on android/chromebox shortly (Score 1, Offtopic) 277
I have a chromebox pc (cost about 160 bucks) and an android tablet that dual boots with windows 8.1 (costs about 99 bucks).
Both the android tablet and the chromebox work great.
I see no need for windows any further. I am typing this on a windows 7 pc, but when it goes down, that will be the last windows only computer I buy.
As for linux, been trying it since 1999. Always had hardware problems with it.
Comment anti-virus industry enticing more virus-makers? (Score 1) 124
is this just the anti-virus industry trying to entice more virus-makers into making more viruses?
Comment random fluctuations will ensure immortality (Score 1) 143
random fluctuations in matter will ensure that the universe will never end...and since I am a cryonicist, that means I will be immortal..while you will be eaten by the worm....
Comment CorpGovMedia has already demonized drones (Score 1) 48
and so therefore the sheeple don't like drones
Comment that's right, nice man, I AM dangerous (Score 1) 263
brushes AC's shoulders....
Comment who hasn't taken a mexican payload or 2.... (Score 1) 51
...to his or her moon?
Comment they dindu nuffin (Score 2) 106
they dindu nuffin at all...
Submission + - Feds want to unmask internet commenters writing about the Silk Road trial judge (popehat.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A grand jury subpoena, obtained by Ken White of the law blog Popehat, demands that libertarian news magazine Reason hand over "any and all identifying information" about certain commenters posting on an article published May 31st, "Silk Road Trial: Read Ross Ulbricht's Haunting Sentencing Letter to Judge."
The subpoena cites a law against "interstate threats" as the reason for demanding the information, which the Supreme Court very recently decided must include real intent.
As White points out, the comments — repugnant as they are — may very well not constitute a true threat, as they aren't directed at the judge and don't detail any real plans for violence. The kicker: although it's possible to fight the subpoena, precedent suggests the US Attorney's office may have the power to obtain the information anyway.
However the situation shakes out, this isn't nearly the first fight over commenter anonymity and the First Amendment, and certainly won't be the last.
The subpoena cites a law against "interstate threats" as the reason for demanding the information, which the Supreme Court very recently decided must include real intent.
As White points out, the comments — repugnant as they are — may very well not constitute a true threat, as they aren't directed at the judge and don't detail any real plans for violence. The kicker: although it's possible to fight the subpoena, precedent suggests the US Attorney's office may have the power to obtain the information anyway.
However the situation shakes out, this isn't nearly the first fight over commenter anonymity and the First Amendment, and certainly won't be the last.
Comment I blame affirmative action (Score 0, Troll) 73
as a federal govt worker, I can assure you that affirmative action is to blame for this. If you only knew how bad it is in the fed govt. If you only knew. The blacks don't really have to work much. And management makes white workers do the blacks' work.
And the software, OMG, the software. They give minorities the jobs writing the specs. And god it is an unholy mess.
