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Comment Its not all bad. (Score 4, Insightful) 1010

Windows 8 isn't that bad.
Just add the start button back.
http://stardock.com/products/start8/ is my fav but does cost $5, http://www.classicshell.net/ is free.
5 more dollars to put all those "apps" back in a window with an icon on the taskbar http://stardock.com/products/modernmix/
And here is a great article for switching default apps back, getting rid of the swipe screen, etc.http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/
Tell people you are a Consultant and you can charge them to do this stuff for them.
And just when you think you've charged everyone money for fixing what Microsoft broke, Microsoft will do you a solid and sell them all something else they hate and will pay you to "make work like it used to."
Oh and if you think Microsoft is desperate and just burning money to be like Apple, you're right. They are offering a $100 an app for up to 15 apps for college students to write pretty much anything and fill their apps store with crap for Win8. Google for one of their App Camps and make yourself some quick cash.

Comment Arkansas DMV (Score 2) 178

As an Arkansan, let me first point out, we don't have a DMV. License plates are handled by the Revenue Department. The Revenue Department is where money changes hands. . . business license, hunting license, boat registration, driver's license, sales tax, assessment? All in the same damn line. That Chinese fire drill of an office is busy enough, I can assure you no one is reviewing your plate. Case in point, I have a gay friend that got away with a plate that says PWR BTM. Honest to god. He has it on a white truck with a black racing stripe on the hood, so they call it the wide receiver. If that passed the revenue office, anything will.

Comment Re:Secret HOW? Nice Headline Slashdot... (Score 1) 232

Personal problem. You choose to live in a state where toll roads are a legal option for funds generation for the state highway department. We have four constitutional branches of government in Arkansas. Executive, Legislative, Judicial, and Transportation. Since they can't spend money they don't have (constitutional pay-as-you-go state) they only way to go into debt is to ask voters to approve a bond and associated increase in tax. No toll booths. Never had em, never will. I'm sure if they did build one it would last about as long as motorcycle helmet laws or vehicle inspections did.

Comment Re:Targeted Ads. (Score 1) 106

I will say this, Hulu is a much better solution than Cable and a Tivo. I just wish they would put a little more effort into targeting ads. This probably has as much to do with the advertisers as anything. I'm sure after a half century of television advertising models, the advertisers till tag their ads as "Gender", "Region", "Time of day" or something similar. Perhaps as ad targeting evolves, both advertisers and media companies will relize the benefits of specific targeting.

Instead of expensive blanket advertising, much cheaper limited run, very targeted ads could gain traction as lots of smaller companies can then afford to get a higher turn for dollars spent. The media companies could benefit from this as well, making money on volume instead of a few deep pocketed advertisers.

It would stand to reason that this would make sense to the companies relying on advertising revenue as it would make them less susceptible to the whims of a few large clients.

Comment Re:Personal questions (Score 1) 106

Why does everyone assume that because you are gay your are promiscuous?
You are correct on travel. Fortunately I love what I do and never really crave a vacation to get away from it.
All that said, what's wrong with wanting to see ads for things I would like to buy? (e.g. Electronics, Cars, Food, Appliances, Furniture, or anything for my dog.)

Comment Re:Targeted Ads. (Score 1) 106

As far as near zero, that's the mathematician in me, as statistically, it isn't an absolute impossibility, just extremely unlikely.
As far as ads go, I do use AdBlock on my computer, I don't on my TV. And there is nothing wrong with ads if they show me something I would like to buy that maybe I didn't know about.

Comment Re:Targeted Ads. (Score 1) 106

Unfortunately, I have to watch on my computer to be able to provide that feedback. I generally only watch Hulu on my living room television. The only time my feedback ever changed the ads I received was when I wrote to them over the eHarmony ads I was receiving. I complained about the ads because I didn't want to see ads from a company with an anti-gay history(1,2,3). I will say, however, after I wrote, they responded promptly saying they would forward the complaint to marketing and I never saw the ads again. As far as clicking "No" on "Is this ad relevant to you?" I've watched a few shows on my computer with the specific intent on clicking "No" for the Charter Communications ads. At one point around half the ads I saw were for a cable company that doesn't even do business where I live.

(1) http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1627585,00.html
(2) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/26/BAGB1BNUE5.DTL
(3) http://mashable.com/2010/01/28/eharmony-lawsuit/

Comment Targeted Ads. (Score 4, Funny) 106

I'll happily share anything and everything advertisers want to know about me if I could ever just get ads that were relevant to me. As an example, Hulu gave me ads for diapers, Charter Cable Internet, and Gucci Cologne in the last show I watched. Charter isn't in my area, I hate kids (and I'm gay so the odds of an accidental one are near zero), and I buy unscented everything. Facebook's targeted ads are just as awful. I mean, its like no one wants my money. And with no wife or kids and my own business I have plenty of it to spend.

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