ArtemisEnterri

Kitten, I'm a long-time Linux user (since 1995), and I can say without a doubt that Linux has advanced a long way from the early days when it was mostly command-line and very little GUI ("point and click"). Most Linux distributions these days are almost totally "idiot-proofed" so that even the most PC-illiterate could still run it. IMHO, The three best factors about Linux are: 1. A LEGAL $0 price tag (unless you want pre-burned CD/DVD's and a printed manual) - you simply download the ISO image for the distribution brand and version you want to use. (Unlike paying $99-$150 per PC for copies of any Windows version.) 2. The ability to run on older hardware (even a 5+ year old <1Ghz CPU can run a Linux box - I have a 900Mhz AMD Athlon running just fine, and previously used a motherboard with twin 180Mhz Pentium Pro chips) - as long as the machine is a 486 or higher, Linux WILL run on it. (Try running Win 7 on a 486... Ain't never gonna happen...) 3. The ability to "try before you buy (install to HD)" - Linux has the unique ability to have a "Live" CD/DVD that can be used to try out Linux on your PC without touching the data on your harddrive (you could even disconnect the HD before booting from the CD/DVD... Again something that is completely impossible for Windows to do.)

The biggest problem are the people with the "entitlement" mindset (who look at what their neighbor has and say "If he/she has it, I *deserve* it too."). Plain and simple mathematical fact: If you didn't WORK to EARN it, you ABSOLUTELY DON'T DESERVE IT! (In the words of one of America's GREATEST presidents - who happened to be a CONSERVATIVE Democrat - "Ask NOT what your country can do for you, but rather ask what YOU can do for your country." - JFK, assassinated because of his views.) The whole concept of "redistribution of wealth" is government THEFT! What would happen if EVERYONE applied for "social" programs, and NO ONE was working to pay the taxes to fund those programs? The programs would collapse, just like the USSR collapsed. Unemployment is a symptom, excessive taxes and regulations are the factors, but big government (which the liberals believe in) is the DISEASE that MUST BE CURED on November 2nd! Only by reducing government interference in our daily lives (both at the personal and business levels) can America survive and regain its position as the GREATEST country in the world! In past decades, other countries wanted to emulate America (and people fled their countries to come to America, LEGALLY), now we have politicians in America who think they can emulate the practices that UTTERLY FAILED in other countries (while assuming they can prevent matching failures).

I've gotten very good at kicking the AI's in the DS and GBA games, and semi-good with the old PC game. Never owned a deck to play for real tho...

Kitten, the Goodwill company has a standing rule that no employee of Goodwill, nor any receiver of benefits from the company (classes, training, job search, etc), is allowed to make purchases at any Goodwill thrift store... It's posted on the entrance door of every Goodwill store in my county (and I've visited 4 or 5 locations). Just so ya know.

www.dslreports.com/speedtest

The only way I'll be getting to Raleigh any time soon is if luck is with me during the first week of November... (PM me if you figure out what I mean by that, cuz I can't explain it publicly...)

::Wonders if this thread is dead?::

Umm, dude, Freddie is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar, you know as in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", not Sarah Jessica Parker...

No it isn't. What about when a stoned pot-head decides to go out for a drive or to use machinery (like maybe mowing his lawn, or using a chainsaw on some trees he wants to get out of his yard)? What if he causes injuries to himself or to others, or causes damage to the property of himself or others? Is it still a "win-win" then? It is a "controlled substance" for a reason: it is dangerous if over-used, just like alcohol (drunk driving kills MANY people each year, mainly innocent bystanders or people in OTHER vehicles). I can understand PRESCRIBED use for alleviation of the pain of terminal illness victims, but I will fight against a "free-for-all" mentality. Which is more important? The money spent on law enforcement, or the money spent to compensate the victims of a stoner's stupidity while high?

It is real, it's a package from around the 1970s or 1980s... These days everything has to be "ultra thin" (diapers, maxi pads, etc)...

My question is this: is potty training really necessary AT ALL? Think about all the medical conditions and illnesses related to or caused by holding waste products too long...

How can they call it "reality" when much of it is scripted, edited, etc? Just watch the way the cameras are focused on certain elements, it's like the cameramen know something is gonna happen moments before it does...

Well, if things work out for me in the next couple months, I'll be having a job in Raleigh...

Sorry if I came across as snarky. There are literally hundreds of different distributions (or "distro's" as the Linux world calls them), each with anywhere from 1 to 20 release numbers. They all use the same central core (called the "kernel" - like a seed kernel), the only real difference between one distro and another is what "branding" they use and which packages they include by default. As I said, the absolute best way to try Linux while leaving your Windows drive intact is to try the "live" disc, all you lose is some time doing the download and burn. Ubuntu is one, there's also Fedora (the free version of Red Hat), openSuSE (the free version of Novell's SuSE), Mandriva (formerly known as Mandrake), Slackware, and many others. I would suggest skipping the FreeBSD, Debian, or Gentoo based distributions for now, they are more involved (if you REALLY have time to burn and want to learn Linux in excruciating detail, there's one called LFS, Linux From Scratch, where you personally compile every package from the very beginning, no installer...). Belinda, that information was reported by the website Tom's Hardware a few years ago. They are a major site for news and reports relating to PC hardware, peripherals, accessories, etc and other personal electronics.

I'm just wondering, is there a way to tell the system to filter out sections when using the "View New Content" link at the top of the screen? There are some forum categories I don't really pay attention to (or get involved in) and would like to not have them show when I'm looking for new unread items.

Umm, did you read the rest of my post? You don't need to "learn" Linux. It's not like going from English to French or German... Linux has a point-and-click interface just like Windows does...

LOL That movie was hilarious yet absolutely brainless at the same time. And so damn true (prophetic even?).

Not to turn this into a "Windows vs. Linux" thread, but if you want a machine that lasts beyond one generation of an OS, the ONLY way to do that is to use Linux. Microshaft (the name I and a few friends use for MS) DELIBERATELY makes each new version require MORE hardware than the previous versions. With Linux, even an ancient 486 can still be used for web browsing. And with Linux there is absolutely NO PRICE for the OS or upgrades, MS will NEVER give a new version without a price tag. And people, please don't start the usual "it won't run ...." complaints. I have been running different Linux versions (both distribution-wise and release version wise) since the late 1990s, and with the WINE and Cedega software packages, almost ANY (nearly 95%) Windows app will run on a Linux machine, and for many Windows apps, there are free Open Source alternatives/clones (Sun's OpenOffice, GIMP, etc). Don't listen to the people who say "you need to be a techie to run Linux" because Linux is not the old command-line only OS it once was (anyone remember DOS??? - that was command-line only and people didn't whine then), Linux has a full point-and-click windows-like desktop (actually there are multiple choices of desktop, called "window managers": GNOME, KDE, fluxbox, whitebox, blackbox, etc.) that make Linux not much different from Windows anymore. And as far as drivers are concerned, if your hardware has existed for at least a year (or the manufacturer recognizes Linux as a viable OS), then drivers exist for that device. I CHALLENGE anyone to download and burn a "live" cd/dvd image, burn it to a disc, and reboot your machine using that disc. You can "try before you buy", something you can NEVER do with Windows. Those "live" discs are a ready-to-run Linux OS (it's read-only, so any changes you make are lost when you reboot...), it won't touch your existing hard-drive (so no repartioning or formatting until you CHOOSE to install the OS permanently) - you can even UNPLUG your HD and use only your CD/DVD drive (I used a "live" dvd to run a laptop with a dead HD for weeks). /end soapbox

Umm, don't they charge a fee to sign-up?

Anyone travel through the Winston-Salem area?

Whoa there yerself dude. I was referring to the eMachine TOWER systems. I'd buy an Acer/Dell/HP/Compaq laptop depending on the price and specs (and if I had the cash), but I won't ever buy a tower with the eMachines name.

I'm a total sci-fi nut... Star Wars, Star Trek (all versions), Stargate (all versions), Babylon 5, Tek War, etc, etc...

Ugg, Dell? Personally, I won't buy any "name brand" computer unless it's a laptop (since those are next to impossible to hand build). For the money you pay for their name you wind up with stuff (mainly preloaded software) that you either don't need or will never use while owning the machine. Same goes for other "box" deals: Compaq, Gateway, etc. And stay miles away from eMachines, they are the worst of the worst... Pentium D? Are you serious? Did you know that the only difference between a P3 & a Celeron or between a P4 and a Pentium D is that the Celeron/D FAILED certain diagnostics and had features bypassed? They are made on the same friggin' dies, in the same damn batches... If you want a CPU that's gonna last, not have heat problems, and be a good price, AMD is the only way to go. You can get the same (or better) speed from an AMD chip for LESS money. Look here for side-by-side benchmark comparisons: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html

There once was a plan for a get-together in Winston-Salem, but I don't know if that one ever worked out.

I don't have an XBOX (and don't plan to cuz i have an intense hatred of Microshaft), I have a Wii... Anyone out there wanna trade Wii codes?