Day: February 12, 2012

HARDWARE: What can you do with a $25 computer?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/european-technology/raspberry-pi-how-a-25-computer-
could-spark-a-computing-revolution/123?tag=nl.e019

European Technology
Raspberry Pi: How a $25 computer could spark a computing revolution
By Nick Heath
February 9, 2012, 6:08 AM PST
Takeaway: Ultra-cheap computers like the Raspberry Pi could usher in a new wave of pervasive computing

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One of the machines at the vanguard of the low-cost computing revolution is the Raspberry Pi, a $25 Linux box that will go on sale before the end of February. Despite its budget price the Raspberry Pi still packs a punch, with the multi-media capabilities of an original Xbox console, 1080p video playback, and general processing power of a Pentium II/III. Specs-wise the credit card-sized computer is powered by a 700MHz ARM chip inside a Broadcom BCM2835 has a single USB port and 128MB of memory, with an additional $10 buying a souped-up version with two USB ports, 10/100 ethernet and 256MB of memory.

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At the very least, it’ll be back to the days of Byte Magazine and hardware hacking galore. At the very least, those kids with all the time in the world will be computing savants.

Hard to imagine what it will be capable of?

Kids will probably break into two camps — 90% being the ipad Users and the other 10% will be the next hacking generation.

I’m going to buy some just to play.

This is stuff that was a dream when I was in injineering school.

p.s., I still have my slide rules. In case I have to design a bridge in TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It)!

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RANT: The local liberal thinks Catholics should shut up

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2012/02/private-hospitals-are-public-facilities.html

Friday, February 10, 2012
Private hospitals are public facilities

The federal ruling that religious schools and health institutions are required to provide coverage for contraception does not violate the religious freedom of religious institutions.

While Catholic bishops throughout the country are taking to their pulpits to denounce the ruling, the reality is that the church’s decision to offer a public service to the larger public places the question in a very different context.

Catholic hospitals, like St. Peter’s in New Brunswick, serve more than just a Roman Catholic population. They serve the entire community.

In many communities, those hospitals are the only health-care facilities.

In almost all cases, the facilities get tax breaks and generally get federal money for services (Medicare, Medicaid, other health-care money).

These facilities benefit greatly from their roles as community facilities.

Given this, it is difficult to see how we can consider them private and allow religious exemptions.

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What are “public facilities”?

Is there some entity called the “public” that gambles their resources to do a thankless task? Is there a membership list for this “public” that sacrifice their own wants to be a “Good Samaritan”? Or is “the public” an imaginary construction like a “pink elephant”?

Of course, these Catholic institutions are composed of people who have First Amendment rights. And, as such, these institutions are the logical summation of all these people. Hence the “institution” has their First Amendment rights.

So the Gooferment, politicians, and bureaucrats have no authority to impose their view of morality on others.
If the Gooferment should prevail, then the Church has no choice but to shut down. Imagine Saint Peter’s is just closed. Boarded up.

Not sold; just closed.

Imagine that?

Peaceful civil disobedience. Like the apocryphal stories of good King Christian X of Denmark resisting the Nazis deportation of Jews.

Think about a world where Catholics just refuse to cooperate. MLK would be a good exemplar.

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In thinking further, if these “private hospitals” have become “public facilities”, then there is a Fifth Amendment argument to be made.

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MONEY: How can anyone not count food and gas in the CPI?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/02/05/hows-that-change-working-out-for-you

How’s that “change” working out for you?
Sunday, February 5th, 2012
Posted by Ed Mattson

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These government “number slingers” are the same bunch that tells you the Consumer Price Index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment to end 2011. Let’s see… 3% inflation. Do you really believe that? Have you been shopping lately? Have you purchased gasoline or diesel for your vehicle so you could go to work (if you still have a job)? Oh, that’s right.  THEY DON’T COUNT GAS AND FOOD IN THE INFLATION RATE!  I guess we don’t need food or gasoline.

In most families the women do most of the grocery shopping right? Men usually aren’t always up to current grocery store prices. Next time anyone talks about politics and how things are going, just ask them if they have purchased ten pounds of potatoes this past year, or stopped in at a gas station.  In 2009, 10 lbs of potatoes cost about $3.50 in Western Michigan (about $3.00 at Wal-Mart). Today the cost is over $5 any place you want to shop. Gas was $1.79/gal when Obama’s entourage slithered into Washington and today, down at the local discount gas station here in North Carolina, it’s $3.59. Is it any wonder they DON’T CALCULATE FOOD AND GAS INTO THE CPI?

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Excellent point. If they did then they’d have to give a COLA to all the old folks.

It’s like the scam with ZERO interest rates by the FED. That keeps Uncle Sam’s 15T$ debt as a near zero expense.

When do “We, The Sheeple” wake up?

When does the World wake up?

You’ll know the scam is over when we have to pay for oil in gold or someone else’s national currency.

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