Comments on: YES!!!! https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:51:21 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1440 TB Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:48:21 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1440 Worldmark has little bridge boxes they hand out that plug into the wall and apparently pick up an internet signal in the electrical lines. You plug ethernet cable from the box into your laptop, and then an outside company charges a little less than 5 bucks a day for internet access. I was only gone for three days, and couldn't think of anything I wanted to look at that badly. Family, agent, and potential contractors have my cell number. Worldmark has little bridge boxes they hand out that plug into the wall and apparently pick up an internet signal in the electrical lines. You plug ethernet cable from the box into your laptop, and then an outside company charges a little less than 5 bucks a day for internet access. I was only gone for three days, and couldn’t think of anything I wanted to look at that badly. Family, agent, and potential contractors have my cell number.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1437 ER Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:35:23 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1437 Welcome back. About the wireless, I know what you mean. Dial-up is REALLY roughing it. Welcome back. About the wireless, I know what you mean. Dial-up is REALLY roughing it.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1436 TB Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:06:19 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1436 I'm back, now. Our timeshare had wireless available, but I didn't use it. I’m back, now. Our timeshare had wireless available, but I didn’t use it.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1432 ER Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:55:20 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1432 I mentioned "unions" because I suspected you were monitoring us for political correctness, and I didn't want to disturb your Yosemite vacation by forcing you to make your usual defensive gambit when this topic came up. No such luck. Tell me, does El Capitan have wireless now? Besides, TB, the unions are the GOOD guys. If it wasn't for corporations manipulating the political process, unions wouldn't have to respond in kind. :) I mentioned “unions” because I suspected you were monitoring us for political correctness, and I didn’t want to disturb your Yosemite vacation by forcing you to make your usual defensive gambit when this topic came up. No such luck.

Tell me, does El Capitan have wireless now?

Besides, TB, the unions are the GOOD guys. If it wasn’t for corporations manipulating the political process, unions wouldn’t have to respond in kind. :)

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1431 TB Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:50:19 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1431 Name one. Name one.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1430 TB Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:49:33 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1430 I noticed you mentioned unions. Not many liberals do in this context, and they pump <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?order=A" rel="nofollow">more cash and power into national politics</a> than any other group, and into one single political party at that. Unions do <em>not</em> contribute to "both sides." Any attempt to reduce the influence of this fountainhead of Democratic political power is furiously opposed by the very same people who complain about corporate influence. It's not about principle. It's about partisanism. I've said many times what needs to be done to defuse the interface of money and power. Cut the power of government over money. Few people want to do this because they LIKE their side having limitless power. They just don't want the other side to have any. The more I look at politics as a human phenomenon, the more I realize that for far too many people the ideal form of government is an absolute totalitarian state that believes exactly the same things they do. I noticed you mentioned unions.

Not many liberals do in this context, and they pump more cash and power into national politics than any other group, and into one single political party at that.

Unions do not contribute to “both sides.”

Any attempt to reduce the influence of this fountainhead of Democratic political power is furiously opposed by the very same people who complain about corporate influence. It’s not about principle. It’s about partisanism.

I’ve said many times what needs to be done to defuse the interface of money and power. Cut the power of government over money. Few people want to do this because they LIKE their side having limitless power. They just don’t want the other side to have any.

The more I look at politics as a human phenomenon, the more I realize that for far too many people the ideal form of government is an absolute totalitarian state that believes exactly the same things they do.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1426 ER Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:26:54 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1426 Corporations already vote. By contributing to election campaigns, they can influence elections; and in a political system where getting elected is highly correlated with the money spent on the campaign, this means money translates directly into political power. No matter how much we look the other way and make excuses, this is bribery, corruption, just as insidious and foul as in a third world country where you can pay your cousin in the post office a kickback and get a cushy government job in return. The proof of this is that corporations, unions, and other special interests often contribute to BOTH sides in a campaign, so whoever wins is beholden to them. This confirms that they are not even ideologically motivated; with any particular philosophical or even class agenda. They simply care about their own interest, and nothing else. Today, it's still possible for the low spender to win an election, but it becomes less likely every year, and even the "low spender" still finds himself owing favors to his campaign contributors. In a society where you can buy a vote, there is no freedom. It's that simple. Corporations already vote. By contributing to election campaigns, they can influence elections; and in a political system where getting elected is highly correlated with the money spent on the campaign, this means money translates directly into political power.

No matter how much we look the other way and make excuses, this is bribery, corruption, just as insidious and foul as in a third world country where you can pay your cousin in the post office a kickback and get a cushy government job in return.

The proof of this is that corporations, unions, and other special interests often contribute to BOTH sides in a campaign, so whoever wins is beholden to them. This confirms that they are not even ideologically motivated; with any particular philosophical or even class agenda. They simply care about their own interest, and nothing else.

Today, it’s still possible for the low spender to win an election, but it becomes less likely every year, and even the “low spender” still finds himself owing favors to his campaign contributors. In a society where you can buy a vote, there is no freedom. It’s that simple.

]]> By: Eri https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1418 Eri Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:50:43 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1418 Gee, I don't know. The Republicans have been using it for years. Gee, I don’t know. The Republicans have been using it for years.

]]> By: Eri https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1417 Eri Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:49:45 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1417 Today, their individual protections by being Inc'd, tomorrow their free speech. If they want free speech, let them enroll as a single voter. Now, understand, that would preclude them voting as individual citizens. Corporation or individual? Their choice. Today, their individual protections by being Inc’d, tomorrow their free speech.

If they want free speech, let them enroll as a single voter. Now, understand, that would preclude them voting as individual citizens. Corporation or individual? Their choice.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/05/31/yes/#comment-1416 ER Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:04:40 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1321#comment-1416 You have to remember, Eri, one of the main reasons for incorporation is to provide legal cover for its management and board, as well as to protect the stockholders from lawsuits or jail. You can fine the corporation, or sue it, but proving legal or civil cases against the people in it is much more difficult. It is a mechanism for passing off the consequences of malfeasance as costs to the customers and stockholders, instead. In Spanish, the legal initials which follow a corporation's name are S.A., for Sociedad Anónima, Anonymous Society. And of course now, corporations enjoy constitutional freedom of speech. You have to remember, Eri, one of the main reasons for incorporation is to provide legal cover for its management and board, as well as to protect the stockholders from lawsuits or jail. You can fine the corporation, or sue it, but proving legal or civil cases against the people in it is much more difficult. It is a mechanism for passing off the consequences of malfeasance as costs to the customers and stockholders, instead. In Spanish, the legal initials which follow a corporation’s name are S.A., for Sociedad Anónima, Anonymous Society.

And of course now, corporations enjoy constitutional freedom of speech.

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