The Vent and Rant Thread

[badgoodDeb]

I like the iPhone family .... but I know, I know, you said Android.....

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

KK - I like the new avatar! I saw that pic yesterday or the day before. Great idea too, dropping (jacketed) dogs to help in rescue operations.

I've done that, and repelled out of choppers with the dogs. I have pics in that black hole of a box that I will eventually get scanned

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

This doesn't apply to drugs in general but the textile industry has/had a lot to do with the criminalization of marijuana as well.

Curious. What was their incentive?

A number of...erm, younger pro-legalization types like to point out the numerous economic benefits of hemp and they're actually not too far off...about that anyway.

You can do lots of things with hemp besides smoke it.

I personally think the decriminalization of pot is on its way; it's just taking longer than it should. Even Obama said, "I inhaled; that was the point". I watched "Reefer Madness" on USA back when Night Flight was on, and I of course indulged numerous times when I was in my 20s. I can say from personal experience that Bill Hicks was right about the cultural differences between people who are regular binge-drinkers and people who regularly burn a joint; I've only seen one person in my entire life get belligerent when stoned and he was a jerk when he was straight anyway (still is from what I hear).

Agreed. Marijuana is a soporific. I've never known anyone who got belligerent because they were stoned, and I know a lot of people who inhaled.

I don't advise doing anything while stoned that you shouldn't do if you are drinking, but if anything, I see less harmful effects from pot.
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Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by wodin

I heard that it was criminalized because DuPont had invented nylon, and lobbied to have it criminalize in order to prevent completion from hemp in the manufacture of mooring lines for ships.

This came from a high school history teacher who was old enough to have remembered it.

Well, there are different species of hemp. The variety cultivated for industrial use, like rope making, is different from the kind grown for drug use. The difference is in the amount of THC each contains. (The industrial variety has miniscule amounts. Industrial use of hemp is still legal, though the US government isn't consistent about distinguishing between the varieties.

The North American Industrial Hemp Council maintains an informational site about it: http://naihc.org/hemp_information/hemp_defined.html
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Dennis

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by kennyc

So what's the best android phone and network at the moment?
(if you want consider this a rant against my current do-nothing phone)

I have a Droid X. I disliked anything that was strictly touchscreen until I got this, if that tells you anything.

I'll be honest: I knew I'd like it when I got it, but I didn't know I'd like it this much. The hype is not unfounded on these things...Sound quality is fabulous. I read on it, as in actually use it as an ebook device; your mileage may vary on that one. Features all over the place. IMO it's pretty intuitive, which is a wash if you've ever used an Android device before. For the week I've had it, no problems and that's before the scheduled OS upgrade in ~3 weeks. The downside? Good luck finding one; they're about 14 days behind schedule from order to delivery, and who knows if and when they'll have them in-store. They're selling that fast.

Droid Incredible is a close second. I've heard good things about them from people I know personally. Same horsepower, smaller screen and (I think) fewer features. Then there's the Droid 2 which has a physical slide-out keyboard like the original Droid; I tried it and it's a huge improvement over the original, though it's the same size (which is to say smaller than the X); the D2 and the DInc are 3.7" screens, the DX is 4.3".

As for Verizon as a carrier...everyone has opinions on that. IMO they're pricey but you get what you pay for. I've never been to Antarctica but I wouldn't be surprised if VZW has a cell tower there. Also, keep in mind that VZW and Google have flipped the corporate bird to any concept of Net Neutrality and signed a sweetheart deal giving Google and its properties preferential treatment on VZW's network, presumably in return for VZW getting preferential treatment when it comes to Android which is pretty much VZW's cash crop now. Good for VZW customers, bad for Sprint customers since Sprint leases a bunch of towers from VZW, and naturally VZW traffic will get priority when **** starts getting real. The reasons I bring this up are:

1. The HTC Evo 4G is the closest non-VZW competition, and that's on Sprint, and...

2. My hunch is the rumored CDMA iPhone will be on Sprint, not VZW.

Shel and I had Sprint before jumping to VZW; their customer service sucked rocks. VZW's customer service is great over the phone, atrocious in the stores; website usefulness is a coin-toss.

EDIT: Forgot to mention also, LOTS of online/forum support for the various Droid phones; they have a big fanbase and they're (mostly) knowledgeable, not just fanboys.
Any questions, fire away.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

I have a Droid X. ...

EDIT: Forgot to mention also, LOTS of online/forum support for the various Droid phones; they have a big fanbase and they're (mostly) knowledgeable, not just fanboys.
Any questions, fire away.

Thanks for that. I think you've set my direction. Any other questions, etc, I'll PM.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

They're forums. The link isn't on the main B&N site. And keeping such links off forums is a non-trivial task.

Well, it is their forum...

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Sorry Steve, but when you install and use "use at your own risk" software, you have to expect bugs, and you can't really complain when you encounter them. That's what beta testing is all about.

Well, I solved the problem by simply removing the app. Anything I buy from them now will just have to be jailbroken and converted to an ePub I can read on other apps. Just like I do with Amazon content.

I tell ya, no one should have to go through this c**p just to read a book.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Well, it is their forum...

Speaking as someone who administers forums, just keeping out the spam is a neat trick. (And is only possible here because MR users promptly report it.) If the forums are at all popular, there may not be enough hours in the day to actually read any substantial fraction of the messages and look for stuff like the links you used.

Well, I solved the problem by simply removing the app. Anything I buy from them now will just have to be jailbroken and converted to an ePub I can read on other apps. Just like I do with Amazon content.

That strikes me as the best way to proceed.

I tell ya, no one should have to go through this c**p just to read a book.

Agreed.
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Dennis

[WT Sharpe]

The wife and I went to a local sidewalk art show this morning. We didn't stay too long, because as soon as we got there, I had to tinkle, and there were no public restrooms. (I knew I shouldn't have had that last cup of Folger's before leaving the house!) I thought about saying the hell with it and peeing on the crowded street. Do you think if I had, the police would have bought my explanation that it was "performance art?"

[kennyc]

uhhhhhhhhh......

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Do you think if I had, the police would have bought my explanation that it was "performance art?"

Shouldn't that be "peeformance art"?

But you do risk some kid pointing at you and saying "It looks like a penis, only smaller!"...
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Dennis

[devilsadvocate]

!@#$%&*?@! EBAY!

I listed my Tour. The listing specifically said "no feedback under 10". Who wins the auction? Jackass with 8 positive FB and right at the top is a non-paying-bidder complaint.

That's not the problem...the problem is I have to request a cancellation from this imbecile or wait until he vanishes. THEN, I get to pay the Ebay fees anyway.

Why do there have to be so many stupid people in the world?

[recluse]

Pets.
Involuntary organ donors.
Cheap meat.

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by recluse

Pets.
Involuntary organ donors.
Cheap meat.

I don't ask that much; I just want them out of my way, like so many incredibly-dense bovine roadblocks on the road of life.

[recluse]

Roadkill.

Just step on the gas.

Wham and splatter!