[geeks] FYI: CompUSA is offering OS X 10.5 for $99 (after rebate)

[wa2egp at att.net]

> <rant>
> Our country, in general, has a problem that hasn't yet hit Canada nearly
> as hard.  We're stupid.
> 
> No, scratch that, we're not just stupid.  We're absolutely and willingly
> clueless.  A large swath of my generation and nearly all of the
> generation after mine can't manage money or other resources, doesn't
> know how to plan for the next week--let alone the next 5 years, can't
> find most of our allies on a map[1], can't define "agriculture"[2] or
> "economy" or "technology" or "culture, and really and truly believes
> that universal rights ought to be doled out by the government for the
> sake of "safety".

Which is exactly what the politicians want.

> 
> They can't think for themselves, they can't produce anything of value,
> they don't pay attention, and they damned proud that they don't "have
> to".  But they have an opinion on everything.  The notion that a fellow
> might need to be informed before forming an opinion is just unheard of
> around here.  If you try to keep an open mind, you're a flip-flopper,
> wishy-washy, etc.  No, you have to shoot from the hip, and DAMN anyone
> who shows you information to the contrary; he's just a dirty
> liberal/conservative.

Typical, attack the person, not the argument.

> 
> But, then, what can you expect from two generations of kids who were sat
> in front of televisions for hours at a time, starting at a very young
> age, and then pushed through schools too weak-willed to correct and
> hold-back because it would damage some poor kid's self-esteem.  At least
> when I was in school, we still had "gifted and talented" programs.
> Friends of mine who are teachers tell me those are going away because
> their exclusive nature also damages self-esteem.

My school is a gifted and talented program.  My district expanded these
programs to "look good".  We now take 200 freshmen instead of 150.
Unfortunately, more have failed out leaving about the same amount of
graduating seniors.  Screw self-esteem.  Too much time is spent in
primary school helping students have good self-esteem instead of teaching
basics so they can get self-esteem from their success.  Somebody
always gets the horse and cart out of order.
 
> Mix all that together, and you get a clueless populace who believe they
> are never wrong and have been told that they and their country "am de
> best".  So, of COURSE we have to help the rest of the world crawl up to
> our level.  It's just the NICE (read as: "christian") thing to do!
> </rant>

Pretty much the same crap that some other countries do except they don't
bother helping other countries come up to their level.  They'd rather
be alone at the top. :) I guess that's the price of nationalism.  The 
latest "bad guys" have actually said they'd stop if we 
become/think/believe like them.  Yeah, OK...

Bob