Desipio Message Board

Can I ask what the big hate for nationalised health care is?  The last 2 years I lived in the US, I didn't have any health cover because I worked at one of those college-graduate-transitional jobs that pay a middling amount and you ditch as soon as something better comes along.  Health cover for a foreigner in Australia was expensive, but no more expensive that what normal people with pretty good health insurance in the US pay.  Now that I'm a permanent resident, my wife and I together pay about $100 a month and get outstanding private cover, in addition to the basic Medicare cover.  In fact the only reason we have to pay anything is because we make over the $60,000 threshhold of low-income. 

I had to get an MRI recently and the doctor's visit cost nothing and the MRI cost me $36.  And I was scheduled in the same day.  I'm not sure what the comparative tax rates in AU and US are, but considering health bills can absolutely destroy people and even the worry about health insurance drives people mad, I am more than happy to pay a bit extra to ensure I'm not going to spend the rest of my life paying off the ramifications of a car accident.  Or god forbid, get dropped off at Michael Reese hospital.

The main issues I see with nationalised health care in the US is that it would be harder to implement with 10 times the number of people and there are probably proportionally more welfare/poverty cases in the US than here.  But it's not like when those people go to the E.R. the cost doesn't get passed on to everyone else anyway.

I would recommend Canon as well.  In fact, for a cheap, relatively high powered camera (if you are willing to do a firmware upgrade), check this out:
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Supercharge_Your_Camera_with_Open-Source_CHDK_Firmware

Quote from: Wheezer on November 19, 2008, 12:06:50 AM
The CHDK folks add some charm.

Edit: What Wheezer said.

Quote from: Wheezer on November 17, 2008, 09:55:06 PM

Quote from: RD on November 17, 2008, 09:12:51 PM
This is a longshot, but if you have any idea of what brand the router is, you can enter the router setup page and jack up the signal strength.  For example, if it's a Linksys, go to http://192.168.1.1 and that should be the setup page.  With my router, you can do things like change the strength without entering a password, I think. 

Also, if you get in and get asked for a password, check http://www.routerpasswords.com/index.asp for the default password for the router, which you should be able to identify once you're in the setup page.

You're recommending that one reconfigure someone else's unsecured WAP?

Perhaps they should have secured it. 

Also, a note to everyone, WAP security has been cracked, and while the average person probably isn't going to hack into your router, WPA2 is a better choice. 

Also, SD - Use my previous advice at your own risk.

Quote from: Simmer on November 17, 2008, 02:17:19 PM
The wireless signal I'm inadvertently pirating is quickly deteriorating.  I was told it could be because of NFL football sunday, with people and their damned satellites.  I was also told it could be the cold weather.

Q:  How do I keep my wireless signal consistent and non-shitty?  How do I keep from disconnecting?  Also, does the cold actually play a role in any of this?

(The easy answer would be to "get your own gotdamned wired connection" but I'm looking for a quick stopgap fix)

This is a longshot, but if you have any idea of what brand the router is, you can enter the router setup page and jack up the signal strength.  For example, if it's a Linksys, go to http://192.168.1.1 and that should be the setup page.  With my router, you can do things like change the strength without entering a password, I think. 

Also, if you get in and get asked for a password, check http://www.routerpasswords.com/index.asp for the default password for the router, which you should be able to identify once you're in the setup page.

Quote from: ChuckDickens on August 07, 2008, 03:17:51 PM

Quote from: Andre Dawson's Creek on August 07, 2008, 03:14:18 PM
Somewhere in Desipioland there is a picture of what would appear to be an early 70's hotel room containing a dude smoking, an old lady and an old lady vomiting.  Any of you Romeo's have that one saved?  I'll hang up and listen for my answer.

This one?


I believe I have the original at home.

Were you expecting him to come back and say "No, that's not the one.  I'm looking for the OTHER picture of a dude, an old lady and a vomiting old lady in a 70's hotel room,"?

Quote from: Wheezer on July 15, 2008, 03:09:44 AM

Quote from: RD on July 15, 2008, 02:53:33 AM
I feel like I've seen that name tossed around as a pretty decent one, though this is of course it's bottom of the range.  Still, might it be worth it?

Speaking as someone who bought my (ex-) wife a guitar as a birthday present, I'd suggest not fretting too much about the model.  If it takes, it takes.  (Do pick up an inexpensive tuner, though.)

The whole operation works much better as a partnership, of course.  Get yourself a mandolin or kazoo, or electric jug, etc.

[Edit.--Autoharp, perhaps.]

I am quite partial to the electric jug...  How have I made it this far in life without knowing that fact?

Thank you all for the guitar advice.  I think I might stick with acoustic, though I plan on buying it from a store so I can return it if necessary.  A local shop has the following:
http://tinyurl.com/5npevg

I feel like I've seen that name tossed around as a pretty decent one, though this is of course it's bottom of the range.  Still, might it be worth it?

This may be worth a look for all the youtube addicts out there:
http://lifehacker.com/software/exclusive-lifehacker-download/better-youtube-firefox-extension-319925.php

I am a big fan of Theatre mode.  Gets rid of all the extra shit and just gives you the video, nice and big.

I'm thinking of getting my wife an acoustic guitar for her birthday.  Problem is, I know fuck all about guitars.  Are there any musically gifted Desipiots out there that can steer me in the right direction? 

Also, this is one of those things that she is likely to play for like 6 weeks tops and then it will sit around taking up space, so nothing top of the line here.  However, if I pony up for a flashy birthday gift, that PS3 is mine once the price drops a bit below $750...

Quote from: Wheezer on June 24, 2008, 03:36:22 AM
Hmph.

"It is said voles are placed within milady's pudendum and then, by means of vaginal muscular contractions, the tiny field mice are shot with daunting velocity outward, to the general delight and applause of persons who pay to view such phenomena."

(Cf. "twat comet.")  It is unclear to me whether the naked mole rat above (H. glaber) is susceptible.

Proper usage of a scientific name dictates that the first usage in a document includes the full taxonomic name, both genus and species.  Also, including the authority is helpful and often required, i.e. Heterocephalus glaber (Rüppell 1842).

Seeing as there has been a recent spate of similar "advice out of the blue" threads, I figured this might be good to keep around and bump any time someone needs to find out something unrelated to the Jock pose or Pie's status.

I am looking to find out how the back side of a standard dart board is to be used.  The board in question has alternating black and white rings with a tiny red bullseye in the middle.  The score on the rings is 1 on the outside and increasing to 9 on the closest to the bull.  No wire rings or anything and the rings are all the way around. 

Quote from: J Rod on December 21, 2006, 03:38:18 PM
Damn, I'm joining this party late, but I'll still throw in my 2 cents...

Goose Island Christmas Ale anyone?

Shit Beer: Fat Cat - that is the worst beer I have ever had.  My old roommate found a twelver of it in Minneapolis.  The can is orange with a purple cartoon cat on it.  Looks like a can of orange crush.

I just want to say how impressed I am that no one here has mentioned Heineken.  If one could have a genuine hatred for a beer, I do and it's for that crap.

I think this stuff is a malt beverage, but I'm a fan of Steel Reserve when I'm looking for something cheap with a high alcohol content.

If you're talking 40s, it's St. Ides or Olde English or nothing. I'm not wasting my $4.00 on something inferior.  Although, I was known to down a few Coquis in my day.

Quote from: Rooster on December 20, 2006, 04:40:10 PM

Quote from: The Paul Popovich Experience on December 20, 2006, 02:05:44 PM
For a good beer, I'll throw in a plug for Kansas City's Boulevard beer, good stuff. For mass market, I'll usually grab a Corona or Sam Adams.

I don't drink Coronas because Mexican bartenders laugh at you if you order it.  They know something.

I'll vouch for Boulevard.  I'll even vouch for a St. Louis brew, Schlafly's.

Interestingly, Corona is a very popular "premium" beer in Australia.  And I laugh at everyone who buys it.  I don't know what the Mexican bartenders know, but I know that $50 is far too much to pay for 24 shitty Coronas. 

Here they have the term Croc Slide, which is when you sit facing the tank so you leave a big smear on the front of the bowl that the incoming water doesn't wash off. 

I'm so disappointed.  How can everyone forget one of the biggest Cubs of all time?  No, it's not Hector Villanueva; it's Ray "Burger" King!