Ok, first off, I don't see a big problem (unless you are part of a big company that basically has a monopoly on things and can charge ludicrous prices because people don't have any choice... I view this from the perspective of the user of said service, not giving two shits about corporations and their need for ever increasing profit...

Anyway, when I lived in my previous apartment I had the option of either paying a local broadband provider for one of their tiers of service and getting it from a ethernet jack in the wall, or going to one of many *DSL companies that would charche a lot more for slower service. Now, the price for the 10/10 connection wasn't bad, and later this was increased to 100/10 and after that, I believe, it became 100/100 by default, with the option to increase the speed further at greater cost (still cheaper than the fastest *DSL which was not even close).

Now, that was achieved by the landlord (in this case a rather big one, actually a municipal one (I think that's what it's called, not a private company) striking a deal with said broadband provider, which had different tiers in their package for landlords. The one chosen by the landlord in this vase was the one that was the most expensive for the user, but which also put all the responsibility for maintenance and trouble shooting solely on the broadband provider.

Fast forward until now, and the landlord has a new deal with another company for what's know as open fiber, i.e. it's one owner of the infrastructure and a host of providers of the actual services (broadband, TV, security features etc.).

The good thing about what we have now is that we have many options, all competing for us customers, and the downside is that the ISP is no longer the only one you might have to deal with if there is an issue as it could be either a service problem, or a problem with the actual network (before it hits the infrastructure upstream. At the moment I'm paying 549 SEK (63-64 USD at current exchange rate) with no additional fees for 1000/100 (I really don't need more upstream so no need to pay for 1000/1000). It's not the cheapest option (for that speed, there's always the option of using the 0.5Mb that is included in the rent, or going for the cheapest provider of 10/10), but it's a good provider that I feel comfortable being a customer at.

I really don't understand the market in the US where it seems like you're at the mercy of some shitty provider a lot of the time and they can charge whatever they want + a number of weird fees at times (no actual examples, but I've read horror stories where the advertised price is just the service, and additional fees apply)...

Anyway, glad I'm where I am, getting the service I get despite not being in a big city or anything (not that Sweden has any big cities in the international scheme of things :D )... If I were in the right neighborhoods (at the moment probably only a few places in Stockholm, though this could have changed since I checked) this provider, through this open net is actually selling 10G-service, but I don't really need it for anything other than it'd be cool to have :D

Well, it is a step in the right direction, and considering the list of cancers contains at least one that I seem to recall is extra important to detect early on (one could argue that all forms are important to detect as early as possible of course) since the symptoms don't really show until it's almost too late to do anything about it... well, that's a really good thing, right?

If I want to check for the possibility of some sort of cancer because of vague reasons and patient fears, most of the time they will turn me away because the procedures in some cases are expensive, and there is waiting time in addition to that. Unless I'm willing to pay out of pocket, I mean even in Sweden there is at least one company that will happily do a full checkup (MRI etc) for anyone, but you'll have to pay a lot for it.

Now, enter a test that can at least detect some of those cancers, is cheap and fast. This means it will be easier to go to the doctor at just get a checkup, or possibly get one on a regular basis just to be sure (about those forms). Consider also that the way to detect some of those cancer variants might before this require biopsy etc, i.e. more invasive ways than a simple blood test. It's a giant leap ahead.

For me, since the cancer that finally killed my father was pancreatic (it started elsewhere and eventually spread there) is one of those insidious ones that are hard to detect early on unless specifically tested (my father dismissed some signs because he thought it was just his stomach as he had had ulcers since years back, he finally went to a doctor on his wife's insistence and by then it was too late, they gave him about 3 months), I REALLY want to be able to detect it.

Now, yes, there are other types, but maybe there is a way to tweak the test to detect more of them? Maybe this test will lead to another breakthrough?

It's a good thing

Actually... It depends on the state... I've looked this up before since I know next to nothing about taxes, minimum wages etc in the US (not from the US after all), and I found things vary quite a bit. I know it's Wikipedia, but look up tipped wage there, and of course look for alternate sources as well... I've always found the tipping culture to be... Well, screwed up, but I'm not used to it where I am...

But was it really too hot? It should be brewed between 91-96 C (195-205F). If coffee it too hot, then you wait for it to cool. I always found that law suit to be stupid...

Exactly... And travelling anywhere outside your own comfort zone has challenges on different levels. Language, customs, public transport etc... I just need to compare how it is here in Sweden with going to the US, which shouldn't be that different, but it is :D

It's like going to another country and complaining that there are too many foreigners. I have many reasons to want to go to China in the future (still haven't), especially Hong Kong, but something like this won't stop me, I just need to do a little research beforehand so I know what to bring and what to do to get around.

Wait, what? I'm just now realizing how expensive it seems to be to have even a small apartment in the US (hey, I've never lived there, I'm used to a completely different system). Things like rent seems to be extremely high, and many times they don't seem to include even basic utilities like heating or garbage collection...

What is included in those $500 for utilities?
The mortgage is $3200/mo? That's more than I get after tax at my job, but then I pay about $635 in rent (heating and water included) + electricity that sets me back another, oh I don't know, say $50-55/mo.

I'm just curious, not questioning your costs, I believe they are that high, I just can't wrap my head around those numbers as that mortgage is more than I get paid each month after taxes.

For all its flaws (region locking, expiring content etc), this is still better than not being able to store and watch later, especially since certain organizations (Copyswede, etc) want me to pay extra just because my phone has storage and therefore COULD be used to store privately copied copyrighted material (as in stuff I own and subsequently made copies of for my own personal use, not pirated material)... No allowing me to you know, actually doing that would be just plain wrong :D

So a signature is more secure? I highly doubt that. Also, only bad banks will tell you this all the time, I was actually contacted by my bank when they suspected a fraudulent transaction. Didn't have to pay, and had the option to get a new one mailed right away and the old one disabled. If you lose your card you should always report it ASAP. It's also good to make the security code on the back unreadable, as well as be aware of your surroundings, something you really should be all the time.

As if such a system can't be modified, fooled or outright disabled.

Sanest comment ever! Seriously, so true!

o/~ A priest's excuse, a ruler's tool, a tyrant's delight o/~
Another good one: o/~ Do you know who's paying the cost? The little soldier, he is lost o/~

A lot of truth in those words..

Actually.. They do. Well, ok, to them, you being a cop might be that damn good reason. 1) Not all people think rationally all the time. Heck, most people won't, at least once. Add drugs to to that mix. 2) In certain areas, being a cop IS reason enough. Also, many of those cops have families. 3) Need I really add organized crime to this? Ok, there you go.

That being said, I'm all for accountability and transparency. It is, however, important to differentiate between information about transgressions and information used to assault/threaten.

I can understand what you say about it still being classified..

That being said.. Regardless of this being how it works in the real world, someone caught with their hand in the cookie jar/up a girl's dress/whatever shouldn't cry about how wrong it is to release those secrets. Did something wrong and got caught? Boohoo, get in line and get your ass spanked. This is when I like to use the words often used by people who don't like others using encryption etc.. If you have nothing to hide.. ;) That cuts both way, just so you know it. Just because the secret is a national one, or has been deemed classified, it just doesn't mean that whatever wrongdoing it pertains to is suddenly not something to be punished. I don't really care if the secret is one that could topple the government. Can't live with the consequences? Don't do it. Simple as that.

Once again, if he did something he wasn't supposed to and got caught, well, he has himself to blame. That goes for everyone, including governments and their assorted skeletons.

"The trouble with law is lawyers."- Clarence Darrow
It's still my favorite..

Well, the thing is, if it's not illegal, it shouldn't matter. If they use your opinion/religion/political views/favorite sports team/hobbies/whatever for something like this.. I honestly don't know what I'd do if they do it to me.. Of course, there are jobs where a bad credit rating, criminal record of a certain kind, etc, is a liability, but there are limits to what is relevant.