j8014

If it is to be political, I would rather target the legislative branch who can actually do something about this. It doesn't make sense to worry about the promises of a politician trying to get elected into the executive branch.

I think the key difference was the USA preferred people on the space shuttle missions. It wasn't for lack of technology, which the whole system was computer assisted anyway, but manned missions are hard and require more engineering and technology. It was political and memorable, that was part of the demonstration and triumph.

It's very cool that the Buran completed a single 3 hour trip unmanned, it went down as the first unmanned space flight that not many people know about. There's nothing much more to say other than that, which is disappointing.

The X-37B and its predecessors have been flying for nearly 10 years. I've been following these programs for apparently a lot longer than I realized. The take away with this program is they are launching these missions without much fan fair and the only brag is the incredible amount of time these missions are active in space. Literally every mission I've seen has the same information being released which is a picture of the vehicle touched down and the time spent in orbit... that's it. As with the last mission, this will be forgotten, another will go up to space and in a couple years we will get another press release.

Books? Who uses books anymore? My kids have had laptops for school since the 2nd grade, they are in 5th and 8th grade now. Syllabus & courses, homework, communication, research all on their laptops. Everything is interactive, videos and classroom lectures recorded. No paper, they never miss a thing, can move ahead in assignments or review old.

If you don't mind, what is economic decency?

I think it depends on who is the customer and where things take place. My mother in law still uses checks, prefers in person banking, and doesn't use technology. She loves getting cash back when she shops. Same with a brother in law of mine, cash is king, technology is a mobile phone to sms his family and friends. He is a successful business owner, btw.

I haven't written a check since the late 90's, when I receive a check, I deposit it directly from my phone. I never carry cash. When I shop its nearly all online. Unless its a restaurant, I've ordered and paid before stepping foot or driving through the place.

The point being, business's accommodate their customers and there is a shocking amount of people who don't care about technology in the US, especially outside of business and tech centers.

Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.

- Thomas Jefferson

Hospitals manage uncompensated care right now, its not as if its an unknown.

I really wish we had transparent pricing, it's maddening, outrageous and needs to be required by law.

I fall asleep around 2-3am every night and am up at 7:15am during the week. I'm 39. I've been a night owl since I was a teen, and even today I have to force myself to sleep. During vacations it becomes extreme, I easily stay up till 6-7am and sleep till 12 or so - which seems to be ideal as I always revert to those times given 3-4 days where I'm not required to be up early. Adjusting my schedule back to "normal" involves skipping sleep for a night.

A couple things, I didn't really see a huge uptick about HK until China started "censoring" western companies with employees having to publicly backpedal. Second, money talks and there is a lot more at stake with western companies in China and HK then in Ecuador.

The West does not act and think in a collective, we are used to opposing views and have zero issue with publicly decrying the actions of our very own governments and removing those from power. The Western people do not act and think in lock step with their respective governments. The issues that individuals and groups of people in the West value can be VERY different from our governments national security interests and also VERY different from even our own neighbors.

I do judge the Chinese government and their self proclaimed leader. I feel bad for the billion people of China who are unable to have free and open public discourse about their own governments actions, to hold and remove those in power peacefully and to be unable to find some sort of representation.

I think HK should continue its protests so that every individual and voice in the "West" can focus and view the shameful acts of the Chinese government.

Yes, targeting individuals by telling them you are going to kill them is not protected by the first amendment lol It has nothing to do with

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

That has nothing to do with free speech. If I grow some vegetables and sell them and you come along and start advertising that they are poisonous with 0 evidence you can be sued by me for damages.

> I think the concept of "freedom of speech" is highly subjective.

What utter nonsense.

I wouldn't consider that durable, just repairable. After all, that's like saying an old classic car is durable because it exists and only had its motor replaced once.

How has Slack completely changed the way you communicate? You can chat, share files and do a lite screen share in a single app? Integrations? I guess, I don't see it and I've used Slack for years, before that HipChat, and I used IRC for a very long time too.