MS is broken due to piracy

On 5/4/15 10:09 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Mon, 04 May 2015 20:14:37 -0700, cameo wrote:

On 5/4/2015 4:30 PM, Ken Springer wrote:

What they buy is a separate question from the opportunity to buy.

You don't say!

Don't have to watch the checkout lines... I work at Walmart, stocking
grocery shelves.

Oh, another high achiever, I see. Should have guessed.

You insist on making things worse for yourself.

Some folks just seem to have self-destructive streak, don't they:

And there are other programs that are not food stamps,
that have a list of permissible foods to buy. Here, it's
http://www.co.teller.co.us/PublicHealth/WIC.aspx Many items are labeled
on the shelves as WIC approved. If the item is not on the list, you
cannot use the WIC money to buy the item.

No so in my state, or the cashiers just don't bother with verification.

Most stores have electronic registers these days. Verification isn't in the
hands of the cashiers.

As we both know, it's not the registers, it's the programming. Walmart
is highly computerized, but I don't honestly know how the system works
when checking out with WIC funds.

Who does your shopping for you? Ask them how it works.



--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/4/15 9:14 PM, cameo wrote:
On 5/4/2015 4:30 PM, Ken Springer wrote:

What they buy is a separate question from the opportunity to buy.

You don't say!

Don't have to watch the checkout lines... I work at Walmart, stocking
grocery shelves.

Oh, another high achiever, I see. Should have guessed.

How little you know, and at this point how little you deserve to know.

And there are other programs that are not food stamps,
that have a list of permissible foods to buy. Here, it's
http://www.co.teller.co.us/PublicHealth/WIC.aspx Many items are labeled
on the shelves as WIC approved. If the item is not on the list, you
cannot use the WIC money to buy the item.

No so in my state, or the cashiers just don't bother with verification.

That's a problem with the business, then, not the system.


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/5/15 9:21 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Tue, 05 May 2015 08:24:30 -0600, Ken Springer
wrote:

On 5/4/15 9:14 PM, cameo wrote:
On 5/4/2015 4:30 PM, Ken Springer wrote:

What they buy is a separate question from the opportunity to buy.

You don't say!

Don't have to watch the checkout lines... I work at Walmart, stocking
grocery shelves.

Oh, another high achiever, I see. Should have guessed.

How little you know, and at this point how little you deserve to know.

And there are other programs that are not food stamps,
that have a list of permissible foods to buy. Here, it's
http://www.co.teller.co.us/PublicHealth/WIC.aspx Many items are labeled
on the shelves as WIC approved. If the item is not on the list, you
cannot use the WIC money to buy the item.

No so in my state, or the cashiers just don't bother with verification.

That's a problem with the business, then, not the system.

The system is horribly broken.

Many people need a helping hand from time to time, no compassionate person would
object to helping those who find themselves in a temporary bind or those who are
not able to take care of themselves due to no fault of their own, e.g. physical
illness, mental illness, etc.

Where the welfare system falls short is in it's denial of human nature. When
many people find a well to drink from, they rarely expend much effort to earn or
acquire a well of their own.

Maimonides, a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who died in 1204, once opined:

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed
him for a lifetime."

The above philosophy is as valid today as it was during the 12 & 13th century.
The most compassionate form of social welfare is to help people help themselves.
1960's style social welfare programs have been an abysmal failure. To this day,
they reward people for not achieving, they provide a unexamined, permanent level
of shelter and sustenance which is comfortable enough so as to satisfy the
survival instinct.

The welfare system needs to be revised so as to motivate and educate able bodied
people to take care of themselves. The penal system also needs to be reformed
to empower convicted criminals, upon release, to contribute to society in a
non-criminal way and to be able to support themselves without becoming permanent
wards of the welfare state.

Yes, the system is horribly broken. Those who empower people to stay on the
welfare hook are simply trying to buy votes with other people's money. Welfare
in the USA has little to do with truly helping people. Welfare as it is
currently constructed is about the left ensuring it's own survival as a part and
doing so at the expense of the less fortunate.

Agreed, although I wouldn't go so far as to make it sound like all of
the left feel the current welfare system is the "right" way to go. �
Pun intended. LOL

The educational system is also screwed up. IMO, the biggest issue is we
don't teach people to think and analyze. Over and above the basics of
reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. But that's another discussion for
another day.


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/4/2015 10:22 PM, Paul wrote:

The groups have all manner of life experiences.

For example, someone I will call the "RAMBUS guy",
committed suicide. He dealt in short stock, the
stock went in the wrong direction, he was ruined.
Before he could bear to tell his wife what
he'd dune, he committed suicide.

Never try to guess at another posters situation...
You don't wanna know.

I would not have said a word if he didn't start lecturing me and telling
what he was doing for living. He doesn't know my situation and whether I
need his lecturing.

On 5/5/2015 9:02 AM, Ken Springer wrote:

Agreed, although I wouldn't go so far as to make it sound like all of
the left feel the current welfare system is the "right" way to go. �
Pun intended. LOL

The educational system is also screwed up. IMO, the biggest issue is we
don't teach people to think and analyze. Over and above the basics of
reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. But that's another discussion for
another day.

The biggest issue in education is that almost all kids have to take a
number
of social science classes taught by left-liberal teachers/professors, but
unless they go into business or finance, they don't have to take a
single class
in economics. So they go through life without basic understanding how a
capitalist system works, and often end up hating it and embracing socialism.
The ignorance of today's public highschool graduates is apalling.
A few years ago a local TV station interviewed a few German highschool
exchange students here, asking them if they found the highschool studies
here hard. They all looked at each other as if it was a joke, then
answered in unison: "It's easy!" Clearly, those exchange students fell
back academically while studying in the US.

On 5/5/15 1:28 PM, cameo wrote:
On 5/5/2015 9:02 AM, Ken Springer wrote:

Agreed, although I wouldn't go so far as to make it sound like all of
the left feel the current welfare system is the "right" way to go. �
Pun intended. LOL

The educational system is also screwed up. IMO, the biggest issue is we
don't teach people to think and analyze. Over and above the basics of
reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. But that's another discussion for
another day.

The biggest issue in education is that almost all kids have to take a
number
of social science classes taught by left-liberal teachers/professors, but
unless they go into business or finance, they don't have to take a
single class
in economics. So they go through life without basic understanding how a
capitalist system works, and often end up hating it and embracing socialism.
The ignorance of today's public highschool graduates is apalling.
A few years ago a local TV station interviewed a few German highschool
exchange students here, asking them if they found the highschool studies
here hard. They all looked at each other as if it was a joke, then
answered in unison: "It's easy!" Clearly, those exchange students fell
back academically while studying in the US.

Subject matter is definitely lacking, but that alone won't teach anyone
to think and analyze. A retired teacher friend and I bemoan this all
the time.

As for the lack of subject matter, how many reading this message can
pass this test?

http://thinklab.typepad.com/think_la...ade_exami.html


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

Ken Springer wrote on 5/5/2015 4:01 PM:

As for the lack of subject matter, how many reading this message can
pass this test?

http://thinklab.typepad.com/think_la...ade_exami.html

"8th Grade Examination from late 1800's"

Funny!!

On 5/5/15 3:24 PM, Alek wrote:
Ken Springer wrote on 5/5/2015 4:01 PM:

As for the lack of subject matter, how many reading this message can
pass this test?

http://thinklab.typepad.com/think_la...ade_exami.html

"8th Grade Examination from late 1800's"

Funny!!

I think it's sad. Points out how low our expectations are for our
children. And that arguments that the hard work it too hard is bogus.

Four years ago, I signed up for couple of college online courses.
Before I could take them, I had to pass a math test. I've forgotten
more math than many learn (I learned it all before I graduated from high
school) and still nearly aced the text. They were all over all me about
how much I knew. Lots of silence the other end when I told them I
thought it was simple and expected it to be harder.

It's no wonder the US is losing leadership in so many areas. We've
raised a group of people that simply know too few basics.


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/5/2015 2:55 PM, Ken Springer wrote:
On 5/5/15 3:24 PM, Alek wrote:
Ken Springer wrote on 5/5/2015 4:01 PM:

As for the lack of subject matter, how many reading this message can
pass this test?

http://thinklab.typepad.com/think_la...ade_exami.html

"8th Grade Examination from late 1800's"

Funny!!

I think it's sad. Points out how low our expectations are for our
children. And that arguments that the hard work it too hard is bogus.

Four years ago, I signed up for couple of college online courses. Before
I could take them, I had to pass a math test. I've forgotten more math
than many learn (I learned it all before I graduated from high school)
and still nearly aced the text. They were all over all me about how
much I knew. Lots of silence the other end when I told them I thought
it was simple and expected it to be harder.

It's no wonder the US is losing leadership in so many areas. We've
raised a group of people that simply know too few basics.

I knew we eventually come to an agreement. ;-)

Ken Springer wrote:

There's a Broadway play that was turned into a movie, with a
similar undercurrent. Paint Your Wagon, with Clint Eastwood and
Lee Marvin in the movie. Neither format was a real winner, but
there is one song that made it to the airwaves when the play was
running, (The Call the Wind) Maria.

Sung in the film by Harve Presnell who did a great job on it. A couple
of other songs, "I talk to the trees" and "I still see Elisha" were
sung by Clint Eastwood, a very talented musician but not much of a
singer. The song, "I was born under a wandering star" was sung by Lee
Marvin who's raspy growl made Eastwood's singing sound better!

YouTube has all the above, they're worth a listen.....


--
XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project:
http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/

On 5/5/15 4:02 PM, XS11E wrote:
Ken Springer wrote:

There's a Broadway play that was turned into a movie, with a
similar undercurrent. Paint Your Wagon, with Clint Eastwood and
Lee Marvin in the movie. Neither format was a real winner, but
there is one song that made it to the airwaves when the play was
running, (The Call the Wind) Maria.

Sung in the film by Harve Presnell who did a great job on it. A couple
of other songs, "I talk to the trees" and "I still see Elisha" were
sung by Clint Eastwood, a very talented musician but not much of a
singer. The song, "I was born under a wandering star" was sung by Lee
Marvin who's raspy growl made Eastwood's singing sound better!

YouTube has all the above, they're worth a listen.....

Absolutely they are worth watching, as is the movie IMO. I thought
Lee's voice fit the character, and unlike many earlier Broadway
productions turned movies, the singing was not dubbed in by someone else.

Harve Presnell played Leadville Johnny Brown in The Unsinkable Molly
Brown, costarring with Debbie Reynolds.


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/5/15 3:57 PM, cameo wrote:
On 5/5/2015 2:55 PM, Ken Springer wrote:
On 5/5/15 3:24 PM, Alek wrote:
Ken Springer wrote on 5/5/2015 4:01 PM:

As for the lack of subject matter, how many reading this message can
pass this test?

http://thinklab.typepad.com/think_la...ade_exami.html

"8th Grade Examination from late 1800's"

Funny!!

I think it's sad. Points out how low our expectations are for our
children. And that arguments that the hard work it too hard is bogus.

Four years ago, I signed up for couple of college online courses. Before
I could take them, I had to pass a math test. I've forgotten more math
than many learn (I learned it all before I graduated from high school)
and still nearly aced the text. They were all over all me about how
much I knew. Lots of silence the other end when I told them I thought
it was simple and expected it to be harder.

It's no wonder the US is losing leadership in so many areas. We've
raised a group of people that simply know too few basics.

I knew we eventually come to an agreement. ;-)

LOL


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/5/15 4:25 PM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Tue, 05 May 2015 15:55:33 -0600, Ken Springer
wrote:

It's no wonder the US is losing leadership in so many areas. We've
raised a group of people that simply know too few basics.


OK, I'll bite. To whom, as a nation, are we "loosing leadership" (as opposed to
voluntary abdication) and in which areas?

Pick something, Norman. LOL We used to be the leader in producing
science and math grads, now those numbers are down. We certainly aren't
the leader in manufacturing, notably steel. What about space travel?
NASA's budget has been cut over the years. We're in a ****ing match
with Russia, but they have the only manned space vehicles I'm aware of.
There's a couple of private companies sending unmanned cargo vehicles
of supplies to the space station, and the last one exploded during take off.

When it comes to putting something is space, I'd say France, India, and
China are currently more active that we are. Nations listed in no
particular order.

How about high speed rail? There's plans for high speed passenger
trains on the west coast, the two leading countries/companies bidding on
the contract are China and Japan. Remember your history, rail was once
king, but the railroads did nothing to try to combat aviation travel.

Whenever there's a big debate about education in Washington, there's
usually a news outlet or two that dig out the stats leadership in the
world. A lot of them have the US way down on the list. We even get
beat out by countries many Americans have probably never heard of.

How about infant mortality rate. We're way down on that list.

Personally, I consider myself very fortunate to live in a country that millions
of people are trying to get into as opposed to living in a country from which
millions of people wish to escape.

No disagreement here. But what percentage of those folk are coming here
for political reasons, better opportunities, better anything in many
areas. But that doesn't make us the leader, we're just a better place
than where the immigrants are coming from. Much like the folks sailing
from Libya to Europe, or still from Cuba to the US.

Also remember, there's a certain percentage of those coming here that
are better educated in the areas where good jobs are to be found, and
some of those are actively recruited by US companies because American
students don't fill the bill.

Great inventions are not created by people who can't read, write, and
think. And I work with a bunch of them, sadly, of all ages. :-(

Apologies for any typos or unclear writing, I don't have time to proof
read this message.



--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 36.0.4
Thunderbird 31.5
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 5/5/2015 6:02 PM, XS11E wrote:
Ken Springer wrote:

There's a Broadway play that was turned into a movie, with a
similar undercurrent. Paint Your Wagon, with Clint Eastwood and
Lee Marvin in the movie. Neither format was a real winner, but
there is one song that made it to the airwaves when the play was
running, (The Call the Wind) Maria.

Sung in the film by Harve Presnell who did a great job on it. A couple
of other songs, "I talk to the trees" and "I still see Elisha" were
sung by Clint Eastwood, a very talented musician but not much of a
singer. The song, "I was born under a wandering star" was sung by Lee
Marvin who's raspy growl made Eastwood's singing sound better!

YouTube has all the above, they're worth a listen.....


When I first heard "I was born under a wandering star" by Lee Marvin it
was so bad that I thought the disc jockey was playing a joke on his
audience.

On 5/5/2015 4:14 PM, Ken Springer wrote:
On 5/5/15 4:25 PM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Tue, 05 May 2015 15:55:33 -0600, Ken Springer

wrote:

It's no wonder the US is losing leadership in so many areas. We've
raised a group of people that simply know too few basics.


OK, I'll bite. To whom, as a nation, are we "loosing leadership" (as
opposed to
voluntary abdication) and in which areas?

Pick something, Norman. LOL We used to be the leader in producing
science and math grads, now those numbers are down. We certainly aren't
the leader in manufacturing, notably steel. What about space travel?
NASA's budget has been cut over the years. We're in a ****ing match
with Russia, but they have the only manned space vehicles I'm aware of.
There's a couple of private companies sending unmanned cargo vehicles
of supplies to the space station, and the last one exploded during take
off.

When it comes to putting something is space, I'd say France, India, and
China are currently more active that we are. Nations listed in no
particular order.

How about high speed rail? There's plans for high speed passenger
trains on the west coast, the two leading countries/companies bidding on
the contract are China and Japan. Remember your history, rail was once
king, but the railroads did nothing to try to combat aviation travel.

Whenever there's a big debate about education in Washington, there's
usually a news outlet or two that dig out the stats leadership in the
world. A lot of them have the US way down on the list. We even get
beat out by countries many Americans have probably never heard of.

How about infant mortality rate. We're way down on that list.

Personally, I consider myself very fortunate to live in a country that
millions
of people are trying to get into as opposed to living in a country
from which
millions of people wish to escape.

No disagreement here. But what percentage of those folk are coming here
for political reasons, better opportunities, better anything in many
areas. But that doesn't make us the leader, we're just a better place
than where the immigrants are coming from. Much like the folks sailing
from Libya to Europe, or still from Cuba to the US.

Also remember, there's a certain percentage of those coming here that
are better educated in the areas where good jobs are to be found, and
some of those are actively recruited by US companies because American
students don't fill the bill.

Great inventions are not created by people who can't read, write, and
think. And I work with a bunch of them, sadly, of all ages. :-(

Apologies for any typos or unclear writing, I don't have time to proof
read this message.

Well said, Ken. I'd just add that though we still do have the best
universities because of funding them, but increasingly their students
and professors are foreign born. Especially their science and
engineering faculties. I can see a not too distant future where all the
high paying skilled jobs will be going to recent immigrants because
American kids just lack motivation and ambition to study hard subjects
required for those jobs.