"On a different note: if you want to preserve gun rights, stop listening to the crap shoveled by the NRA and talk radio, and put your efforts towards a far more effective goal: re-normalizing guns. Folk who have never handled a gun see the weapon as "strange" and "dangerous" and "foreign", and it is those three things that can be sensibly outlawed. Those that handle firearms and appreciate them see guns as neither strange nor foreign, and no more dangerous than an automobile."

In fairness, the NRA at least supports many of those efforts. For instance, one of the most compelling arguments for gun normalization is than carnage that DIDN'T happen after so many states enacted "shall issue" laws. And that effort was led by the NRA. Likewise, the Open Carry movement isn't exactly ignored by them either.

The NRA has a lot of ugly in it, but no one else has the clout to get behind legislation that would make it possible to normalize guns, and fight when existing rights are abused.

.. but but but... that means they have to study for a short period of time. That means they have to take a test that takes a short period of time. That means they can't do everything NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW like their brains have grown to expect, and can't deal with differential from!

I pity. I've even helped with two disaster relief events as a ham, and people just look at me with glossy eyes because they don't understand a word I say when I try to describe what RF transmission is.

Oh, wait... I'm supposed to be "normal" to fit in. I'll act like I don't know anything.

*ahem*

What's "amateur radio?" :>

You didn't, but at least you're thinking about it. The question is about the nature of value with respect to money.

Try Freigeld to start with. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freigeld
 

"It's quite a sad state of affairs when moving to one of the most common and widely used back-ends for a website is considered "a significant step forward"."

Bullshit - it's not a "step" anywhere.

This is ONE part of the government changing ONE system over to open source. That's it. The whole "since the Bush Administration" comment is a red herring:

a) Drupal only went Open Source in 2001. "Hey, it's time to update the Whitehouse.gov back end, and there's this new cool thing that just got released. It's maintained by a bunch of enthusiasts, and has no support, but I think it's a great idea!" "Perkins, go back to trolling for porn."

b) Does anyone really think the president in ANY administration gives a rats ass about the back-end of the website? Remember, Bush was ridiculed for not even using email, but somehow it's his policy that only proprietary software be used for invisible parts of the website? Likewise, Obama was a lawyer, "community activist", professor, and politician. Which one of those would make him care about this?

I'm more than happy another Open Source effort has been used for a high profile installation. But please - this isn't "Change", or even a policy change, or even an operations change from the White House point of view. This is changing from "Tide" to "Bold" to wash the Presidential underwear.

Dang Dude, that laptop and you are gonna be 48,000 years old when you finally need to upgrade.

Well, if you have a tv tuner card in your computer, you can just hook the vcr to it and stream the shows onto your computer, then make your own dvds from that. Oh, wait, you're talking pounds sterling, you're British. Sorry. The solution would work, but you're taxed into bankruptcy there if you have a tv, a tv card, or anything the Beeb could possibly make a shilling on...

Gotta love that site: "Click on an earthquake for more information".

Just how do you click on an *earthquake*? Put your mouse on the ground and wait for the earth to start shaking?

I succumbed to google; can't spoil a movie/book I already (think) know the plot of. Seems the director doesn't understand the ending.