You're right: admitting there are hidden motives is the problem. Not the screwy weather.

> The Paris Accord won't actually accomplish anything beyond being some feel-good self-masturbatory act that serves as a good photo op probably not. I'm fearing its going to be the camels' nose in the tent: just like the EU itself wasnt supposed to be what it morphed into. It will start with the Paris "accord" but there will be a clamour for more tangible goals and eventually penalties. All the while the hypocrites will be raking in the bucks for supposed weather influence ? gimme a break. Remember folks, the weatherman cant predict 7 days accurately but we are to believe they can model the worlds' weather for the next 10, 20 or 50 years ? how about predicting where your money will go: that'll be more accurate.

> You do need to currently train to become an astronaut/cosmonaut which takes at least six months of intense study and a physical exam that not everybody with that kind of money can pass

So are you saying that the US and USSR's budgets were mostly spent in the old days in training chimps and dogs to pass those grueling exams ?

Sorry, but I just cant see what "intense study" you're going to need on a 9 minute flight. In case of emergency (you'll know when that will happen) just scream - for all the good it'll do you.

> My opinion is that MoBo makers will provide the key with each motherboard, just like software packages provide a key with each box. While this is also not an argument or logical, it is at least more plausible on the surface.

So why is the bios on my laptop signed ? Sorry to pop your bubble but I think some manufacturers would gladly jump on this bandwagon since they want control over their own gear (despite the niggling detail that you own it). So what's the opposite of FUD ? Certainty ? I dont think so. In this case it looks like misdirection.

> I downloaded the movie, but never could watch, it well, just sounded way too dumb.

Isnt that kinda like saying you were smoking marijuana but not inhaling .. I dont think it'll fly. Maybe you'd be better off saying you made a mistake and downloaded the wrong movie since a lot of people here said it was a five star stinker. ;-)

> Linux DOES infringe on MSFT patents, because it would be mathematically impossible for it NOT to with the sheer number of patents MSFT has,

Darl McBride, is that you ? You still going on about that Linux patent issue ? I'd have thought that when IBM was in court defending itself against SCO this particular issue has been put to rest. Boy, that was big big news here a few years back and now we get MSFT shills flogging this dead horse ? I believe if there are patents out there that are being infringed (and when boneheads try to patent individual letters in an alphabet .. kinda like "i", I'm sure there are infringements), the lawyers involved will be active - or not. Depends how big the target.

Lets wait and see if MSFT will go after GOOG. This should be good entertainment Break out the popcorn !

> USA's military involvement in Mexico and South America.

Yup, USA is involved but shows no sign of wanting to take over. Why would it ? They're aligned with US's purpose.

On the other hand, China invading Tibet may (or may not) be addressing territorial issues based in past history, but after Tibet is pacified and repurposed, Tibet becomes China and they can proceed to their next territorial issue.

As for America attacking Iraq, it was purely for the oil - and that seems to have backfired somewhat so they're building some megabases there to discourage other foreign investment.

>(Ontario is over 50% nuclear) and as a result we have some of the cheapest hydro rates in the world.

We live next door to said province and we think their "hydro" aint that cheap. ..and if it's nuclear, it aint hydro ! ;-)

> You're using an equals sign for both and assignment and a comparison here. Even though this is pseudocode, you couldn't write a parser that could compile it.

And to think all these years my PL/I programs have been compiling wrong because there wasnt a compiler for it. I better go back to BASIC then, but according to you, that's not possible either.

Granted they're not the current crap .. uh ..crop of eye test inducing languages, it's not the parser that was lacking. Pseudocode or otherwise.

> Or is it because you feel special when you watch pirated films but all sad when you find out that that pirated movie was *gasp* from a legitimate source?

hmm .. lets ponder this a sec.
The "pirate" really really liked the movie and shows selected clips of the best parts.
The "pirate" really hated the movie and showed only the worst parts (same parts ?! who'd have thunk!)
The "pseudo-pirate" shows only the very best parts since he's being paid to do so, to boost revenue.

I'd have to say I'd rather hear it from the pirate since he might be less biased than the studios. After all, I have to imagine as someone else said that no studio would trash their own films. I also have to consider you simple minded if you have'nt noticed that the (carefully selected) previews rarely translate consistently to a great two hour film.

In my opinion the piracy aspect is unimportant, it's the bias aspect that counts. And as for loosing control over the carefully crafted marketing of their films, what's next : NDA's from the viewers so they cannot trash the films to their friends and family ?

> I am a free slashdotter. I will not be modded, blogged, DRM'd, patented, podcasted or RFID'd. My life is my own.

But you are registered - are you not ? :-)

> Do a fresh install.
Spend the $100 and get the Windows DVD if it bothers you that much

Whoa right there buddy ! :-) if you've already PAID for the shlepping thing (as I have) and you got your nice shiny Windows serial number on the bottom; then the only thing missing is the install media (as I did). Funny thing that Micro$oft (or Lenovo) had enough money - just barely I suppose - to cut an upgrade DVD to include in the box but that somehow or rather (maybe the money ran out at this point, or there was just no more space left in the box) they couldnt cut an original install DVD - despite having given you the blessing of God (Micro$oft) with that serial number. Well !! It just so happens our good friends at Pirate Bay are running a special on all Vista and Windows/7 install medias. It's free. Help yourself and do yourself a favour.

You *are* licensed to run one of those Windows are you not ?

Given your environment, I'd stay with Windows. No, I'm not a Windows fan, but I recognize that software development, subsidized software development that is, is much more heavily tilted toward where the market is. Since Windows used to be 90% of the market, it's not hard to tell where vendors would be spending their resources. That's not to say that open source wont eventually have what you're looking for, but it would probably be a longer wait. Also, :-) by then your requirements would have changed and you will want something that the opensource crowd will be running to catch up to.

On the other hand, if you come from a teletype / dialup background like me, your wants would be drastically fewer and simpler. Eventually your TV/DVD/Game console will probably be doing all sorts of computer kinda stuff and you will fondly remember how you could waste several hours figuring out how to put italics into your emails. :-)

> either go with Linux and waste valuable time or go with the Windows/MacOS oligopoly and waste dollars.

:-) I've probably wasted as much time troubleshooting my Windows as I have my linux (and freebsd!) installs. BTW, my first attempt at Ubuntu (not v1.0.0.0!) crashed on install : not ready for primetime. A year later, it managed to install but ran like a tortoise on depressants. THIS is what the masses seem happy with ? sheesh ! I now run Debian; plain ol' boring Debian. Twiddle a few bits here and there and voila : good enough.

BTW, maybe what we (that's you and me) need is something truly standardized. Maybe this Android stuff might have something going for it. Cuz I dont think the problem is the OS but rather how to shoehorn it onto inconsistent systems and still work consistently - Apple is probably damned close to this but I'm not an Apple-fan.

> If you want to go the free-market route you are stuck with Linux which has a significant learning curve and probably will take up more of most peoples time than its worth to them in savings.

Didnt somebody higher ask who let the newbies in here ? ;-) .. Linux with Gnome or XDE or whatever is easy as pie. If you dont like the defaults, there's google for ya: look it up. If you dont like the distro, try another one. You could also try *BSD. And if the idea is that you dont like to run a bloated windows machine then it's principle, not cost related.

> I tried to run for office as an honest politician, but I couldn't raise enough money to pay for my campaign.

Then try running as a dishonest one - it would be a refreshingly honest thing to do ! :-)