They could give every homeowner in my area free satellite service from one of several sources for what they are paying Sandwich Isles Communications in HI and still save big bucks: http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/05/29/19166-feds-crack-down-on-telecom-company-serving-native-hawaiians/

Changing firmware without full design review and V&V is a big NO-NO...they can get their tits in a big ringer. My old company nearly did when a "software engineer" made a change w/o review. FDA got real ugly! Not sure if it requires a new 510K at this point but all SOPs have to be fulfilled and documents in place just as changing an internal component would be. It would be expensive in any case and the suits are loathe to spend another penny on them, plus the original development group has often been disbanded by that time. Lots of internal inertia!

These idiots called me one morning...heavy accents and all...claiming to be from u$oft telling me that my computer had messaged them that it had a virus. I flumoxed them when I told them that all my computers ran the linux operating system and it would be very strange if it had called them. Had I known how to turn it around on them, I would have. They are so stupid they deserve the Darwin award.

I think you'll find the MSDS for CO2 lists it as an asphyxiating gas. You need to stop adding to CO2 production yourself. Try not breathing.

I once reported to an asshole that wanted to call me in the hospital the day I was undergoing an emergency angioplasty. Some of my co-workers put him in his place. He would call in from his vacation across the country to join in a group discussion...but then he could be heard snoring over the speaker-phone. What a phony POS. Yes, I got riffed later on...wasn't a team player (I consider that a compliment...I actually got stuff done)...but I'm better off for it and after taking an early retirement (and other recommended life-style changes), my heart disease is virtually cured (but that employer wound up paying for 3 PTCAs before I got smart). Eff'm!

@TheGratefulNet: Thanks for remembering and posting this...I was going to if you hadn't.

Been a CU customer for nearly 40 years...I now live 2500 miles away from my credit union and bank via phone, internet and with their FREE ATM card. Their service, fee free, is so much better than I get at any commercial bank that I never expect to change. I've done BofA, WF and others and they all suck. You do need to know your credit union, however. When we relocated, we joined a small local CU that turned out to be crooked. Fortunately, our deposit was small, just for the sake of getting a car insurance discount. Stick with large CUs with a good reputation and you won't go wrong.

XP Pro SP1 was the last of their junk I will ever buy. It actually was pretty good for me until SP2 came along and even that wasn't too bad at first, but eventually, because I couldn't keep up with the updates on my 56K line, it got beyond fixing. Even fresh installs didn't work unless I left the update cycle behind (what a concept!). I have never been able to get it up to SP3 level. It amazes me how folks keep clamoring for more of this junkware from u$oft, crapple and others that forces the customer to follow the manufacturer's business plan, OR ELSE! Thankfully I can still say effum! and build my own box with what I want running on it. I have to accommodate my customer's business plans and needs or die...how do these guys get away with reversing the relationship and make billions?