DISQUS

Actually, if you read my comment again you'll see that I said, "Doesn't it make more sense *from a skills point-of-view*..." I specifically and intentionally wasn't discussing it from the financial perspective. My point wasn't to try and offer an overarching opinion, but simply to bring up another angle. Sorry you took it so personally - it wasn't intended that way. Incidentally, my buddy is on the Manchester-by-the-Sea PD and he says they outsource the ambulance service there and have found it to much superior because of the reasons stated above (ie, emergency medicine skill-level of the responders). Again, not sure of the financial aspect, but I wanted to bring in this angle to what I thought was going to be an on-line discussion (but has degenerated to yelling and screaming). Oh well.

Why would the town want to rely on people whose primary training isn't in the medical profession as first responders to medical emergencies? Doesn't it make more sense (from a skills point-of-view) to use a service whose employees are specifically trained to deal with medical emergencies, and who do so on a full-time basis rather than having to rely on classroom knowledge (which they apparently never received)? I need to check what we are doing in Wenham - but I'd rather have people working full-time as EMTs responding in ambulances to medical emergencies anyway. They reinforce their training with real experiences on a daily basis, they interact daily with emergency personnel at local hospitals, etc.

Surely the folks at Gmail and Smamassasin could have figured out that fix. I've not gotten that particular sort of spam .. perhaps it's new? I assume that you use the "Report Spam" button in Gmail. Anyway, let us know if your fix works.

Surely the folks at Gmail and Smamassasin could have figured out that fix. I've not gotten that particular sort of spam .. perhaps it's new? I assume that you use the "Report Spam" button in Gmail. Anyway, let us know if your fix works.

Darn it! I was imagining what Apple's PDA might be like. In my mind it was pretty good! Integrated Video iPod (obviously), lots of memory and speed, easy connection to a digital camera for downloading photos, a mindbogglingly easy to use GPS device with voice guidance, and other features I couldn't even imagine (the folks at Apple have a better imagination than I do). I was already saving my money.

Darn it! I was imagining what Apple's PDA might be like. In my mind it was pretty good! Integrated Video iPod (obviously), lots of memory and speed, easy connection to a digital camera for downloading photos, a mindbogglingly easy to use GPS device with voice guidance, and other features I couldn't even imagine (the folks at Apple have a better imagination than I do). I was already saving my money.

What the heck? I guess I've discovered the "comment" character. I had a lot of text deleted from my post.

"coffee shop training programs" (good one!)

Seriously ... don't expect so much from their training. And when you find someone who doesn't do this properly, explain the proper alignment and explain why it is the proper alignment. I'm guessing that it's just a lapse in the rigorous training program (perhaps they were out sick that day). I'm sure that they can learn from a well meaning customer.

What the heck? I guess I've discovered the "comment" character. I had a lot of text deleted from my post.

"coffee shop training programs" (good one!)

Seriously ... don't expect so much from their training. And when you find someone who doesn't do this properly, explain the proper alignment and explain why it is the proper alignment. I'm guessing that it's just a lapse in the rigorous training program (perhaps they were out sick that day). I'm sure that they can learn from a well meaning customer.

"coffee shop training programs"

"coffee shop training programs"

Wait .. so we're not calling it a car phone any more?

Wait .. so we're not calling it a car phone any more?

Well, I'm all for letting them be independent if that's what they want. But, let's get a little reality check. Cheering for a Cuban baseball team is not equivalent to supporting the Cuban government or way of life. Nor is cheering against a US team equivalent to rejecting all of the things that the US stands for. Perhaps it was a case of cheering for the underdog. Of course maybe it was a case of cheering against the US. Maybe it was a case of people wanting the US to have a little reality check of its own. A case of people wanting the US to lose once in a while just to learn a little lesson in humility. With the arrogance shown by the current administration, one could hardly blame people in the world for being frustrated at the US government (hey, I'll admit to being a tad frustrated myself). But, Daniel, this does not mean that they reject EVERYTHING the US stands for or that they advocate embracing a system that makes people so desperate that they flee their home country on inner tubes. You've expressed disbelief/frustration/etc. at some of the positions of our current administration. I've never once taken this to mean that you reject the US.

Well, I'm all for letting them be independent if that's what they want. But, let's get a little reality check. Cheering for a Cuban baseball team is not equivalent to supporting the Cuban government or way of life. Nor is cheering against a US team equivalent to rejecting all of the things that the US stands for. Perhaps it was a case of cheering for the underdog. Of course maybe it was a case of cheering against the US. Maybe it was a case of people wanting the US to have a little reality check of its own. A case of people wanting the US to lose once in a while just to learn a little lesson in humility. With the arrogance shown by the current administration, one could hardly blame people in the world for being frustrated at the US government (hey, I'll admit to being a tad frustrated myself). But, Daniel, this does not mean that they reject EVERYTHING the US stands for or that they advocate embracing a system that makes people so desperate that they flee their home country on inner tubes. You've expressed disbelief/frustration/etc. at some of the positions of our current administration. I've never once taken this to mean that you reject the US.

You're surprised at this? (Well, me too .. a little.)

But, this is the same guy who talked about an Axis of Evil, listed three countries, pre-emptively attacked one, and was apparently surprised when the other two got even colder toward us than they already were.

So, we probably shouldn't be surprised.

Any bets on how North Korea will react if we attack Iran? Forget about how Iran will react. Forget about how our (former?) allies will react. Forget about how the rest of the world will react. Could North Korea really be blamed for thinking: "Hmm .. this guy listed three countries that he thought formed an Axis of Evil. He's attacked two of them. Logically, he is planning to attack us too (sure, he says that he has no plans to do so, but he said that about Iran). The guy has opened the door to a country launching a pre-emptive attack if that country feels threatened .. even if the country can't specify when that threat might actually materialize."

Raise your hand if you can take that thread of thought to its logical conclusion.

Scary.

You're surprised at this? (Well, me too .. a little.)

But, this is the same guy who talked about an Axis of Evil, listed three countries, pre-emptively attacked one, and was apparently surprised when the other two got even colder toward us than they already were.

So, we probably shouldn't be surprised.

Any bets on how North Korea will react if we attack Iran? Forget about how Iran will react. Forget about how our (former?) allies will react. Forget about how the rest of the world will react. Could North Korea really be blamed for thinking: "Hmm .. this guy listed three countries that he thought formed an Axis of Evil. He's attacked two of them. Logically, he is planning to attack us too (sure, he says that he has no plans to do so, but he said that about Iran). The guy has opened the door to a country launching a pre-emptive attack if that country feels threatened .. even if the country can't specify when that threat might actually materialize."

Raise your hand if you can take that thread of thought to its logical conclusion.

Scary.

I think I'm reading this differently than you are. Here's a quote from the article.

"We've moved 18,000 of our 85,000 laptops to an environment where they link to the internet by default," he said, adding that BP believes it can "harden them" to the dangers of the web.

I read the word "it" as meaning "BP" not as "open exposure to risks."

Here's where I think they're coming from (keep in mind, I'm a university mathematics professor and not a security guy):

Their employees connect into a secure LAN at work. These employees don't understand that the reason that their computer is safe from attack at work is that they are behind a firewall and perhaps are protected by other goodies on their LAN. These employees thus get SLOPPY when they're at lunch and make a less secure connection at a wi-fi hot spot. To protect the employees, the firewall and other protections are put on their machines. Thus, they no longer need the extra protection at work and are now more secure elsewhere.

Just my reading of the story. (Again ... I may be way off here.)

I think I'm reading this differently than you are. Here's a quote from the article.

"We've moved 18,000 of our 85,000 laptops to an environment where they link to the internet by default," he said, adding that BP believes it can "harden them" to the dangers of the web.

I read the word "it" as meaning "BP" not as "open exposure to risks."

Here's where I think they're coming from (keep in mind, I'm a university mathematics professor and not a security guy):

Their employees connect into a secure LAN at work. These employees don't understand that the reason that their computer is safe from attack at work is that they are behind a firewall and perhaps are protected by other goodies on their LAN. These employees thus get SLOPPY when they're at lunch and make a less secure connection at a wi-fi hot spot. To protect the employees, the firewall and other protections are put on their machines. Thus, they no longer need the extra protection at work and are now more secure elsewhere.

Just my reading of the story. (Again ... I may be way off here.)

oops ... left out a line ... (It'd be nice to be able to edit our entries).

ONE GUY: "I'm not."

oops ... left out a line ... (It'd be nice to be able to edit our entries).

ONE GUY: "I'm not."

Brian: "You are all individuals!"

Crowd (in unison): "Yes, we are all individuals!"

Brian: "You are all individuals!"

Crowd (in unison): "Yes, we are all individuals!"

"Anti-Muslim images are as unacceptable as anti-Semitic images, as anti-Christian images, or any other religious belief."

Though I agree with most of what was in the article, I think that this quote was misread. Except that the last bit is ambiguous and seems to imply that other religious beliefs are unacceptable (clearly not what was intended), I agree with a literal reading of the rest of the statement.

Note that it doesn't say that any of the things should be forbidden. Nor does it even say that they are absolutely unacceptable. It simply says that they are all EQUALLY unacceptable (whatever that level of unacceptability is). If we believe that good taste prevents publication of "inappropriate" holocaust cartoons, racist cartoons, etc. because they are so deeply offensive to some, then we ought to believe that good taste prevents the publication of cartoons that are deeply offensive to Muslims.

On the other hand, I believe that the FREEDOM to violate such standards is an ESSENTIAL part of a free society. And, I would support the RIGHT of people to publish such things.

... Leaving a few words in a forum like this can leave a misleading impression of ones viewpoint. So, let me make absolutely clear that I think that the violence stemming from the publication of the cartoons is criminal. There is absolutely no excuse for the threats that have come from those who have apparently been offended by the existence of the cartoons (I'm guessing that most have not actually seen them). My points are simply that we should understand that people are truly and deeply offended by the cartoons, and that this particular article was reading too much into the quote I included at the top of my post.

"Anti-Muslim images are as unacceptable as anti-Semitic images, as anti-Christian images, or any other religious belief."

Though I agree with most of what was in the article, I think that this quote was misread. Except that the last bit is ambiguous and seems to imply that other religious beliefs are unacceptable (clearly not what was intended), I agree with a literal reading of the rest of the statement.

Note that it doesn't say that any of the things should be forbidden. Nor does it even say that they are absolutely unacceptable. It simply says that they are all EQUALLY unacceptable (whatever that level of unacceptability is). If we believe that good taste prevents publication of "inappropriate" holocaust cartoons, racist cartoons, etc. because they are so deeply offensive to some, then we ought to believe that good taste prevents the publication of cartoons that are deeply offensive to Muslims.

On the other hand, I believe that the FREEDOM to violate such standards is an ESSENTIAL part of a free society. And, I would support the RIGHT of people to publish such things.

... Leaving a few words in a forum like this can leave a misleading impression of ones viewpoint. So, let me make absolutely clear that I think that the violence stemming from the publication of the cartoons is criminal. There is absolutely no excuse for the threats that have come from those who have apparently been offended by the existence of the cartoons (I'm guessing that most have not actually seen them). My points are simply that we should understand that people are truly and deeply offended by the cartoons, and that this particular article was reading too much into the quote I included at the top of my post.

Works for me.