- DickButtKiss : lmao i'm gonna start playing this game so I can burn ya - trans lives matter
pet crocodile was busy gnawing on the pilot's nuts? 
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This happened in 25 August 2010, when a Let L-410 Turbolet twin-engine short-range transport aircraft designed and produced by the Czech, crashed near Bandundu Airport. Of the 21 people onboard, all died, including the pilots, except one passenger, which is how we have any idea of WTF actually caused the crash!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11087817
====(from BBC article)
A plane has crashed in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing 20 people, officials say.
One person was also critically injured as it came into land in Bandundu, about 200km (125 miles) west of the capital.
A BBC reporter in Kinshasa says it hit a house, but no-one is thought to have been hurt on the ground.
DR Congo, the size of western Europe, has few roads after decades of 
civil war, and has one of the world's worst air safety records. 
The BBC's Thomas Hubert says the plane crashed 2km from the airstrip as it attempted to land just after midday.
Colonel Joli Limengo, the local chief of police, told our correspondent that most of those on board had died in the accident, including the two pilots - who were believed to be Belgian nationals. 
He said that 19 bodies were pulled from the wreckage along with two survivors, one of whom later died. 
The aircraft was operated by Filair, an airline based in Kinshasa, and was due to stop over in Bandundu town before continuing its journey to the capital.
Our reporter says Filair, just like all airlines registered in DR Congo, is on the European Union's no-fly list because of the country's poor air safety record. 
Transport Minister Laure-Marie Kawanda said a team had arrived in Bandundu to investigate the crash.
====(end quote)
Note that this was BEFORE the investigation by the Belgian authorities were carried out! 
Initially the authorities were confused as to why the heck the plane had crashed, cuz usually when these types of small planes tanked it was cuz they were literally out of fuel 
====(unknown AFP article)
Plane crashes in DRCongo, 20 dead: deputy governor
(AFP) โ 4 days ago
KINSHASA โ At least 20 people were killed after a plane flown by the Belgian head of a local airline crashed while trying to land in western Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said.
The Filair Czech-made twin turboprop crashed Wednesday afternoon at Bandundu after a 300-kilometre (200-mile) flight from the capital Kinshasa, and apparently running out of fuel, Vicky Mboso Muteba said.
"They have brought out the people, we have 19 bodies in the morgue," said Mboso, the deputy governor of Bandundu province, northeast of Kinshasa.
One of two survivors later died in hospital. 
The owner of the private airline Filair, Belgian Daniel Philemotte, 62, was at the controls of the Let-410 plane and was among those killed, along with the co-pilot and stewardess, he added.
Mboso said that after an abortive attempt to land, the aircraft turned away and crashed towards the edge of Bandundu city, hitting an earthen house whose residents had managed to flee in time.
There was no explosion, said Mboso, who was one of the first to arrive on the site along with soldiers from MONUC, the UN mission in the Congo.
"Subject to expert opinion... the presumed cause could be a lack of fuel," he said. 
====(end quote)
Basically people noted what was strange about this crash was that the fricking plane actually made an attempt to land, but aborted midway?! The authorities were also really puzzled wtf went wrong, cuz the pilot was a Eurocuck (and therefore actually competent, unlike the locals). And they also found the plane was completely full of fuel, so empty tanks weren't the cause, compared to what was the cause speculated when the news broke in Congo, as well as some minor Safrican foreign news outlets.
Here's a 
article google translated into Bonglish
https://www.radiookapi.net/actualite/2010/08/27/crash-de-bandundu-ville-la-version-de-fil-air/
From the 2 survivors, including the one poor soul whom would die in hospital later, the authorities gathered that there had appeared to be some kind of panic 
aboard the plane, so close to the runway, causing all of the passengers to run towards the cockpit, unbalancing the small plane, and pulling the center of gravity, and making the aircraft near inoperable, which is why the pilot had managed to make one aborted attempt at landing, yet still pulled up at the last moment, to end up crashing it near the emergency landing strip of Bandundu Airport later!
====(from french article)
The crash of the Fil Air plane that occurred on Wednesday, August 25 in Bandundu City was not caused by a fuel shortage but rather by a technical failure before being thrown off balance by panicked passengers, indicated John Mbu, the consultant of this airline, forty-eight hours after the occurrence of this tragedy that killed around twenty people including the boss of the company, in the west of the DRC.
John Mbu explained:
"The statement of the only survivor, who was on the plane, said that the pilot had to land on the emergency strip located next to the runway. And that, when he arrived on final and had to point to land on the emergency strip, the passengers, having seen that his nose was not on the runway, screamed and all came into the cockpit."
As it was so close to landing, he continued, it threw the plane off balance and it swung before crashing into a house.
The hypothesis of running out of fuel is therefore not true, according to him, because after checking, there were still at least 150 litres of kerosene in the tanks.
However, regarding the technical breakdown, Fil Air was waiting until Friday evening for the expert report on the black box. This was recovered by civil aviation authorities and the transport ministry, the source said.
====(end quote)
So by this point the confused authorities understood there was some kind of last minute panic? 
but they were still clearly uncertain WTF actually was the cause and were waiting for diagnoses of the Black Box
AND THEN: 
It seems about 3-4 weeks later, when the sole survivor had recovered in the hospital from his injuries and could be questioned more clearly, and without delirium, that apparently fricking one of the passengers had smuggled a pet crocodile aboard, in a duffle bag. And that close to the end of the journey, the fricker apparently escaped, causing a panic shitstorm amongst the rest of the passengers, whom would flee to the opposite end of the aircraft in their headless panic and frick up the center of gravity with such a sudden shift of weight!
====(from archived TheTelegraph article)
The plane came down despite no apparent mechanical problems during an internal flight in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has now emerged that the crash was caused by the concealed reptile escaping and causing a stampede in the cabin, throwing the aircraft off-balance.
A lone survivor apparently relayed the bizarre tale to investigators. The crocodile survived the crash, only to be dispatched with a blow from a machete. 
According to the inquiry report and the testimony of the only survivor, the crash happened because of a panic sparked by the escape of a crocodile hidden in a sports bag. One of the passengers had hidden the animal, which he planned to sell, in a big sports bag, from which the reptile escaped as the plane began its descent into Bandundu. 
A report of the incident said: "The terrified air hostess hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers." The plane was then sent off-balance "despite the desperate efforts of the pilot", said the report.
====(end quote)
Even more hilarious is that the British Air Crash investigators didn't want to believe in the crocodile story and thought it was bullshit 
and the fact that they couldn't get ahold of the flight-recording data from the Black Box (no idea why) made them sceptic to this story. But due to all the compounded factors, like the Belgian pilots being experienced, the plane being in good condition and fully fueled pre-crash made not good accounts for the cause of the crash outside the hearsay of the sole survivor, whom had little cause to lie.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/oct/22/escaped-crocodile-congo-plane-crash
https://news.sky.com/story/croc-on-a-plane-reptile-may-have-caused-crash-10397037
The current state of this country has me panicking. I'm having panic attacks left and right. : confession 
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You should get a spine and have it installed. It's wayyy too early to panic, because a lot more of this shit is coming. If you think it's bad now, you've got another thing coming.
I am overjoyed that someone is finally starting to weed out the financial corruption we have been enduring all these years. I don't see why this would make you panicky. We should all be happy we finally have a real leader at the helm.
Worried? I'm ecstatic AF! This is exactly what I voted for!
However, I can see why you're having issues.
1. You and your party has no power. You have been rendered impotent
2. You're weak AF
How to solve this? Get off the Internet. Go do something active, man or woman the frick up!
Then leave.
Yea heaven forbid Americans complain about American things on an American app supported by an American company. [-6]
You should see a therapist. This isn't remotely a bad period of time compared to historical standards
Edit for the downmarseyrs: you need to bear in mind that a lot of people lived through decades where nuclear war seemed like a lot more than a hypothetical possibility.
Everything is finally getting better.
I feel you and totally relate. If you want a friend to mutually lean on for support during this insane time, please feel free to message me. [-25]
Shut upppppppp
It's NOT you. The average person is under-reacting because they don't want it messing up their routine or taking their crumbs.
The government is objectively being dismantled and people should not just be acting like it's BAU.
Eventually this is going to trickle down on all of us and not just the immigrants and government workers.
I didn't care about your guys election choices until your leader started threatening my country here in Canada every other day with erasing it off the face of the Earth.
I'm feeling anxious aswell . [-6]
Another USAID worker chiming in [๐คฃ]
You're the problem.
Get off the internet. The real world is not the one that exists in your mind, and places like reddit only serve to convince you that they are.
Would you rather find joy or justify misery?
If you're honest about that answer, it will reveal everything you need to know about your direction in life.
Yeah shit is really bad. These people telling you that what is going on is good is either gaslamping you or just dumb as frick.
You have to mentally check out some. Being hyper aware won't get much accomplished. You have to take a step back. Grieve whatever loss it is in stride.
Don't let anyone gaslamp you into trying to tell you that removing environmental protections, deleting our data, setting up a literal concentration camp, subverting the constitution, etc are good things. They are not.
It's hard to control panic attacks and I don't know the best way to subvert them. Know you aren't alone. You care about other people and don't let anyone try and take that from you. Let your voice be heard if you can.
The current regime is NOT on the right side of history. Most of them know it too.
This is what I imagine every redditor is like in real life as I read all the seething going on here the last couple months
I am putting on my blinders and taking solace in that the US thought it wise to train me in violence.
I won't go full radical unless someone questions my kid's citizenship.
I do seem to be in a state like I was in the Army, where I am comfortable and ready to respond with deadly force. I've never really experienced that so casually before. [-8]
If this isn't bait, you need to get mental help. Your team didn't win, thats how our government works. Try again in 4 years. But to be this affected by an election isn't a normal reaction
I accepted myself as trans a little over a year ago. Started hrt maybe 6 or more months ago.
I cry almost every other day on the way home from work since the inauguration. I'm terrified, and filled with hopelessness and anger.
Edit: to those who REALLY think I'm overreacting, look at and read the executive orders around trans people. Look at what he's doing to the CDC. Look at the people who lost care already, who can't get their passports back.
If you still don't believe it's bad, kindly frick right off yeah? [-3]
I think some level of concern is okay, but it should not make it impossible for you to function in day to day life. Like others said, I would seek out therapy. You make what you can out of it because life can't stop.
id seek therapy. Im significantly less than happy but calling out of work out of fear is a little extreme
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In its ruling, the ASA acknowledged the model's face "did not appear to be gaunt and her arms, while slim, did not display any protruding bones".
But it said: "Because the pose, camera angle and styling in the ad investigated strongly emphasised the slimness of the model's legs, we considered that the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin."
Of course it's a foid making this comment
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(The JerryLeeCooper Saga)
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the !linuxchads , !fosstards and !applechads fear the !winchads .
Reposting it here to improve the formatting and to help contribute to rDrama SEO spam:
(also because dramatards are lazy r-slurs who don't click on things)
(Prelude)
Somewhat OT: The JerryLeeCooper Saga
This should not be read by those who experience blinding rage when confronted by people who obviously don't know what they're talking about, those with heart conditions, those with psychological conditions, women who are pregnant or nursing, or any sane human being.
This is a little bit (a lot) off topic, but it does relate to Linux, so I felt I would pass it along. You may already be familiar with Mr Jerry Lee Cooper and his works through digg.com and similar sites. If so, you know what follows. If not, and if you wish to bear witness to a new level of crazy, keep reading. If you haven't see the dozen or more of his complete works, they are presented below, in chronological order.
The AUSLUG and PLUG lists have been kind of quiet today, so I figured I'd kick up some activity if anyone's listening. What follows is not for the faint of heart, and probably not safe for human consumption.
This guy either has no idea what he's talking about, or he's a troll. I think he's a troll, but it's up to you to decide for yourself. The JerryLeeCooper that comes up on some other forums is probably not the same guy, or evidence that this is in fact a troll. I suspect he's not the same guy, since the name on the forums shows up some months after the ZDnet postings.
Each of these entries is either in response to a ZDnet report or editorial, or a comment posted under one of the reports or editorials.
He seems to have something against Linux, and is under the impression that MS is the Lord and Master of All Things Computer. Anyway, I've collected his comments off of ZDnet here, in chronological order, for your enjoyment.
A little Google search for < site:talkback.zdnet.com "jerryleecooper's comment">, will turn up all his posts in all their glory, but not in chronological order, if you want to see the original stories and comments that prompted each insanity.
I have added commentary above each entry, to better clarify the topic he's addressing. Each comment of his has a title, and the date it was posted. Again, these should all be in chronological order, for better enjoyment of the crazy. Same-day posts are arranged in what I perceive to be the proper order, but that's just my opinion.
Enjoy, if you dare!
On Vista:
Vista is the Future
Its clearly evident that vista is the future.
One only has to watch TV for a short period of time and see the advertising.
WOW !!
I personally love the part where the young man is taking a stroll in the delightful snow covered streets, and sees firsthand a young deer with a gleefull glint in its eye. It sends a shiver down my spine.
WOW is all I can say.
Vista is clearly the future of enterprise computing.
On hearing about Linux:
that wont work without THEFT of intellectual property
Linux looks very interesting, even if some of the screen colours and menu options appear to be a little out of the ordinary.
But you are missing a vital point, a point which takes some experience and depth of knowledge in the field of computers. You see, when a computer boots up, it needs to load various drivers and then load various services. This happens long before the operating system and other applications are available.
Linux is a marvellous operating system in its own right, and even comes in several different flavours. However, as good as these flavours are, they first need Microsoft Windows to load the services prior to use.
In Linux, the open office might be the default for editing your wordfiles, and you might prefer ubuntu brown over the grassy knoll of the windows desktop, but mark my words young man - without the windows drivers sitting below the visible surface, allowing the linus to talk to the hardware, it is without worth.
And so, by choosing your linux as an alternative to windows on the desktop, you still need a windows licence to run this operating system through the windows drivers to talk to the hardware. Linux is only a code, it cannot perform the low level function.
My point being, young man, that unless you intend to pirate and steal the Windows drivers and services, how is using the linux going to save money ? Well ? It seems that no linux fan can ever provide a straight answer to that question !
May as well just stay legal, run the Windows drivers, and run Office on the desktop instead of the linus.
on being told that Vista might prompt people to choose Linux:
It wont happen
I dont see how this will happen at all.
Vista is far more powerful than windows XP, and runs twice as fast. It is also much harder to pirate, and this point more than anything else has the Linux crowd in a panic.
It wont be long until Windows XP is no longer supported, and when that happens, what is Linux going to do ?
Linux will have to find a way to work under Vista from here on, since it wont be able to rely on XP being readily available anymore.
Linux may seem like a good alternative to Office, but all that is happening in linux is that the windows interface is cleverly hidden away. It still needs the drivers and software services in order to run, and in most cases - that happens WITHOUT a valid windows licence.
This is just plain piracy.
Vista will finally put an end to this blatant abuse of intellectual property, and linux should decline, taking the pirates with it.
Anyone that supports the continuation of Windows XP in place of Vista surely has a hidden agenda .. and you will surely be caught out.
on being told that Linux is a true operating system, and doesn't need Windows:
You are kidding arent you ?
Are you saying that this linux can run on a computer without windows underneath it, at all ? As in, without a boot disk, without any drivers, and without any services ?
That sounds preposterous to me.
If it were true (and I doubt it), then companies would be selling computers without a windows. This clearly is not happening, so there must be some error in your calculations. I hope you realise that windows is more than just Office ? Its a whole system that runs the computer from start to finish, and that is a very difficult thing to acheive. A lot of people dont realise this.
Microsoft just spent $9 billion and many years to create Vista, so it does not sound reasonable that some new alternative could just snap into existence overnight like that. It would take billions of dollars and a massive effort to achieve. IBM tried, and spent a huge amount of money developing OS/2 but could never keep up with Windows. Apple tried to create their own system for years, but finally gave up recently and moved to Intel and Microsoft.
Its just not possible that a freeware like the Linux could be extended to the point where it runs the entire computer fron start to finish, without using some of the more critical parts of windows. Not possible.
I think you need to re-examine your assumptions.
on MS vs Unix, and MS marketing tactics:
Scalability is the key
Much of this analysis consists of splitting hairs over the finer details of decisions that were made at the very dawn of the computer IT industry.
So Microsoft leveraged their success with DOS off of mainframe systems such as the CP/M ? Clunky old machines with green screens and keyboards so big and heavy that they are physically impossible to type on. I remember them well.
That was then - lets fast forward now to 2007. Computers are so much faster, graphics cards are 3D capable, the keyboards are easier to use, and the mouse makes life a breeze.
And we have the internet - 99% of which runs on Internet Explorer.
How can you be so blind as to say that Microsoft has not given us any innovation ? I find that comment simply astounding !! You cant honestly suggest that we would be better off using the CPM machines on a mainframe ?
On the surface there are many obvious innovations .. such as a graphical system with a mouse, the Office, not to mention the internet that is basically a totally Microsoft platform these days .. (need I go on ?)
But if you care to look below the obvious surface, you will find the true innovation that Microsoft has bought us. Let me spell it out for you :
SCALABILITY
The ability to extend performance above and beyond the ordinary. Thats the true innovation that Microsoft has bought to the world, and they have done it by redefining software engineering, and backing it with billions of dollars.
Who else has been able to do this ? Nobody that I can see.
on security in OSX:
The extra chip in the Mac OSX
Very interesting. You mention that the Mac OSX machine includes an extra chip that handles the security ?
Well Ill have you know that Microsoft Vista includes a BitLocker in the system which takes this a step further. The BitLocker is software based, and so protects the data flow within the computer above and beyond what happens over the serial line.
In addition to this fact, the Microsoft SQLServer wraps the data in a form that can be made accessible on a user by user basis. The Mac OSX chip is hardware, and so cannot distinguish activities at the user level.
This dual existence of both BitLocker and SQLServer is what is termed 'Double Data Protection', which I am sure you will admit is a more secure methodology than the single chip that the Mac OSX appears to be using.
This gets very exciting when one imagines what might happen when the operating system and the SQLServer are integrated as one unit. Microsoft will be leading the way in computer security when this very vision is realized with the release of the Win FS as part of Vista II. You mark my words, it will make the Mac OSX obsolete.
But there is more ....
I happen to have extensive experience at the very heights of the corporate enterprise IT, and this includes exclusive contacts deep within the heirachy of a certain company in Redmond.
I can assure you that there are moves afoot to include a very similar chip that is in the Mac OSX in the next version of Vista.
Whilst not being privy to exact details of discussions at the highest level of the corporate IT, I can extrapolate my experience to present a scenario which is entirely realistic :
1 - Microsoft worked alongside the Apple to develop the next generation of security measures, using a 'Triple Data Protection' scheme involving BitLocker, SQLServer, and an as yet untested security chip.
2 - After providing Apple with its best virus protection algorithms (an algorithm is an advanced computer code), Microsoft discovers that Apple has no equivalent offering to add to the partnership.
3 - The partnership dissolves, but Apple pirates the Microsoft algorithm, which is designed around the Pentium super chip, and then proceeds to convert their machines across to the Intel.
4 - Apple adds this 'security chip' that you mention, (which more than likely contains the Microsoft anti virus algorithm), giving it a highly secure offering to bring to the market. An unfair advantage in anyone's eyes you would have to admit.
Well, the simple fact that the Mac OSX already has over 700 malwares, despite the existence of the security chip AND Microsoft's dearly guarded anti-virus algorithm, indicates that Apple does not have the expertise to engineer an IT miracle on this scale.
That will all change soon when Microsoft completes the engineering on their next generation of Vista.
Hold onto your seats gentlemen, its going to be a blast !!
on why someone on ZDnet is having problems running Linux:
The linux cannot reliably be employed on modern hardware
Yes, well, I did receive quite a few pointed 'pointers' about linux not requiring windows, but I am yet to be convinced on that score.
I did witness first hand just the other day, a demonstration of a machine loading up the linux, and several points piqued my interest for sure.
Firstly, the machine loaded into the Microsoft boot sequence prior to loading the linux. This is the segment of the operating system which counts down the memory, and configures the A:, C: and D: drives prior to loading the Microsoft windows. Although the machine did not display the familiar windows animation, it was obvious that the linux was freeloading off the back of this prior installation/boot sequence. The aforementioned demonstrator, upon further questioning, even admitted that 'Oh, That part is not the linux', and then went on to confuse the issue with technical jargon. However, one cannot mask a simple act of piracy with excessive verbosity. A fool and his lamb are worth 2 in the bush.
Now - I will admit after some further research, that the linux is not in fact a complete copy of Microsoft Windows. My research indicates that it is in fact a copy of Unix. I bet you didnt know that young man ? Yes, its a straight copy of Unix, even down to copying verbatim codefiles straight from the source of Unix. I believe there is a court case in progress regarding this latest discovery. The magnitude of the theft is now becoming apparent.
However, this remarkable fact may well uncover the answer to Ed Bott's mystery linux installation failure. You see, the Unix was designed to run within the VHF to UHF spectra (much like a radio), which is all well and good until you consider that modern computers run in the microwave range, at which regular radio reception starts to have serious issues. If one were to use a UHF receiver to tune in to a quad-phased broadcast in the Microwave spectra, one would fail miserably.
I would wager a bet that Ed Bott's computing apparatus was a more contemporary design utilizing a 3GHz central processor unit (or CPU). Under such frequencies, the linux would literally tear itself apart, its code lacking the internal cohesion to sustain this extreme environment. The Microsoft by comparison, is streamlined and engineered to withstand this Microwave environment, thanks no doubt to the forethought of its designers.
And of this there is ample evidence, which one can easily do an msn-search for and witness first hand. All of this evidence is on the public record, and cannot be denied.
on Blue-Ray:
blue ray is impractical for the linux
It comes as no surprise that the linux does not yet find itself deployed on the blue ray HD DVD, for a number of reasons.
I think you will find after some investigation that the blue ray HD DVD is a patented invention that requires special decryption codes to be utilised.
Therefore it would not only be illegal for linux to use the blue ray (not that minor questions of legality have ever stopped the Linux in the past), but more so that linux does not yet contain the decrypter codes required for this operation.
And so for now, the linux finds itself constrained to the somewhat prehistoric CD-ROM format.
on Novell dumping a load of documents to public access:
Leaderships wins the day
Lets us not waste our energies on pointless arguments over exactly how many ways the linux has infringed on other people's intellectual property.
The facts have already been proven, and numerous people have made declarations in public about the level of corruption that is systemic and prevalent in that particular 'development community'.
Prominent and respected businessmen, such as Steve Ballmer CEO. of Microsoft, have already been generous enough to state that the evidence exists, and even enumerate the magnitude of this vile misdeed.
But nobody is threatening to sue anyone .. or argue over the who is to blame, there is no childish 'Witch Hunt' in progress here.
When one stands on the edge of a smoking crater, the scene of a horrific passenger aeroplane accident, a Leader will not run about cursing all and sundry for their part in this tragedy - NAY - A Leader stands up and admits that a dark day has fallen upon us, but is discrete about the details. The bodies of the fallen are covered, and discussions with next of Kin are kept private. It is enough to know that '235 brave souls have lost their lives on this day', and that is enough for us to know.
And so it is that Steve Ballmer has shown both Leadership and Discretion of the highest order in this situation. The proven magintude of the crime has been made public, however the details are kept respectfully at arms length. In so doing, Microsoft is performing
a huge service for the linux developers, in not shining the lamp of the accuser too brightly upon their guilty brows ... in effect, giving them a second chance to direct some of their energies towards a more productive future path.
It is an act of the highest nobility that is rarely seen in this day and age.
No, the real issue at hand here is - NOW that it is well known that things have gone wrong, HOW can we restructure relationships in this industry such that their is a way forward to a productive future ? We can also look to Novell it seems as bastion of noble intention and Leadership in this industry.
The Novell-Microsoft pact is a template for all future relationships in the IT industry, with all players in the industry purchasing prepaid IP royalty credits from Microsoft. This makes the entire question of IP manageable at last, and streamlines all future IT business in a way that truly benefits everyone.
on buildng a FREE resource for Dell owners using Ubuntu:
A foolhardy investment
An interesting concept perhaps, but one ultimately doomed to failure.
I would hazard to suggest that such a venture would be like fissling good seed onto barren ground, when one considers the target market for this ambitious venture.
Firstly, let us consider the target market. Those who would purchase a Dell computer with the linux installed, typically do so with one factor predominant in their mind's eye. That is - they choose the linux in order to save money. Any venture that invested resources in providing training services to this market is at a disadvantage from the first day, since that market has already classified itself as a penny pinching mob, collectively bereft of financial resources.
Secondly, one must consider the technical depth of this target market. The linux lacks the shine and technical sophistication of modern operating systems, such as Vista. There is only so much that can be taught to customers about the linux before one has exhausted it's technical abilities, let alone the shallow pockets of it's users. Selling training for advanced topics such as - Virus Protection, Disk Defragmentation Utilities, Job Scheduling, Windows Scripting, and Windows Clustering, Sequel Server .. all great topics that make a firm
foundation for a lucrative training program .. but these opportnities are solely lacking in the linux world.
And Thirdly, let us consider the professional development of this target market. When one enters an University level course in advanced computing with a view to a productive future in the IT industry, what exactly do you think they teach students there ? They would hardly be
teaching the linux, the unix, or the mainframe in this day and age. Nay - Its primarily Windows and Vista that form the foundation of a professional career these days. One would only be doing a half hearted disservice to users if you limited the training program to the linux.
So whilst I find the idea of offering training to Dell's linux customers gregarious and even charitable, I think it is a venture doomed to failure, and surely one which most investors would be loathe to back with the resources required.
on building a decent computer for under $500:
No need for Piracy or IP Theft here !
It is saddening to see articles like this that talk about building computing systems, and leave out the necessary costs involved with properly licensing the operating software. There is an unwritten suggestion within the article that the user could somehow bypass these costs ? or worse - choose a system (Ubuntu), which will lead the user into the dark and uncharted world of freeware - a world where the true costs are frighteningly hidden in the details.
I would suggest that in building any computing aparatus, one first selects the software required, and then builds the rest of system around that.
At the center of this choice would be the Windows Vista of course - preferably in the Business edition, at a low price of $299.
That leaves $200 left, and for that money one could purchase a quality case for about $50, a Microsoft keyboard and Mouse combo .. another $50, and a Motherboard for $100.
Now - anyone with experience in the computing IT industry would know that prices for CPU's, RAM memory, and Hard Disk memory always drop significantly over time.
A top of the line processor, RAM memory and Hard Disk memory may cost $1000 at today's prices - however, in a short time frame, these will cost only $200. And so, the wise buyer, by strategically delaying their purchase order, will save $800.
A good quality 19" monitor - another $200.
Microsoft Office - add $400
Now lets do the figures :
$499 for the purchase of the initial equipment.
+ $200 for the upgrades later on.
- $800 savings by delaying the CPU / RAM / Disk purchase
+ $200 for a monitor
+ $400 for Microsoft Officce
=$499 total
There you have it - a perfectly 'decent' computing machine with a legal and licenced copy of operating software (and $1 in change) vs $500 for a somewhat hobbled Ubuntu machine that leaves its user with undeclared balance sheet liablity for patent infringements.
Like so many other independent studies have found before .. A properly licensed Microsoft solution is not only the safer option, but also the lower cost option as well.
on his lack of mathematical ability:
Yes ME again
I see that the freeware evangelists are running scared now that their days are numbered. In an unbiased comparison, I have independently concluded that a legally licensed Windows machine, with a faster CPU processor and RAM memory, a bigger screen and a bigger Hard Disk memory is cheaper than the ubuntu machine, because of a sound investment strategy based on felicitous risk management and foresight.
You said : "You better go back to school because your math is definitely not sound. You failed to factor in your $299 (your quote) for Vista"
Not so - lets add it up again.
$299 for the Vista
$50 for the case
$50 for the genuine Microsoft keyboard and mouse
$100 for the motherboard
Total = $499
What is there not to understand ? The deductivistic summation of such figures adds up to $499.
on Google's announcment that a lot of IIS servers are serving malware:
Interesting
Its a very interesting statistic indeed, and one that bears repeating in many an IT department.
Google is a company with extensive internet experience - probably second only to Microsoft itself, and one can bet that Google looks at all platform options very closely.
I wonder what exactly can be concluded from this statistic though ? Given that Google runs it's internets using Microsoft IIS at the very core, they dont sound too worried about this situation.
Read between the lines of the article though, and the truth is revealed in the final paragraph - That these compromised servers are running PIRATED versions of Microsoft IIS, many of which are probably also running Linux, another malware of dubious legality.
It would be informative to learn how many of these pirated domains are running Microsoft IIS under Vista vs how many are running Microsoft IIS under linux ? As always, the truth is in the details.
on MS using FUD to force FOSS groups to partner with them:
Does the linux have a choice ?
If one makes the presumption that the modern IT is all about the internets, then you have to ask yourself 'Does the Linux even have a choice in this matter ?'
A modern computing system is not one that is run from the DOS command line - it is a system that is tied in with the internet instead. Just have a look at Vista with Aero for an example of this done right.
You need the outlook to connect in with the mass of email flowing around us every day. And then there is document collaboration - the sharing of Wordfiles and Excels between users across state boundries ! Voice over IP, internet enabled 'surface' computing, and voice command interfaces - all tied together with .NET and the Aero interface.
The driving force behind this internet is the Microsoft Sharepoint Server - a central peice of systems software which connects all these end points together, in a synergistic kaleidoscope that achieves both balance and symmetry.
The smart Vendors know that in order to get ahead in the future IT, that means integrating with the internet.
And so, we will see more and vendors of the Linux remit their legal obligations to Microsoft, and then benefit by getting onboard the .NET revolution.
on random rewrites as a secure method of wiping hard drives:
Secure erase not so secure
When writing finite bits to the disk sector, there is a finite probability that the resultant string of randomised bits MAY in fact generate something incriminating.
For example: (regardless of how unlikely this may seem), any string of random characters may well create a brand new wordfile on the computer by pure chance .. which contains legible words, which string together to form sentences which may in turn connect the previous owner of the hard disk with Al-Qaida, the Mafia, insider trading, un-patriotic activites, Linux 'development', or any manner of unsavory activities.
The larger the hard disk being randomly 'wiped' in this fashion, the greater the probability that some new and undesirable content would be created by chance.
I for one would NOT place my trust in such a tool, risking a lifetime of torment in Guantanimo Bay in exchange for the 'security' of having my hard disk cleaned prior to resale.
The solution ? One should purchase a new copy of the Vista for the said hard disk, and install this on the disk. This would effectively wipe clean the disk of any previous content. The disk could then be disposed of cleanly, with a note that the new owner must purchase another legal copy of the Vista before installing the disk.
In this situation - everyone wins.
on MS partnering with Linux vendors:
Why is Microsoft doing this ?
The one crucial question that must be framed is : Why is Microsoft paying hard currency for these deals ?
Why would they do that unless there was some other agenda ? I think the answer is clear.
Figures from the BSA and RIAA prove beyond all doubt that piracy and intellectual property theft is growing at an alarming rate. A recent article published by the US internet crime complaint center demonstrates how receipt of its 1 Millionth complaint shows that
internet based fraud is both rampant and expanding beyond all reason.
In this environment of lawless anarchy, it is no surprise to find that the Linux is right at home, and growing - in the same way that a wurm grows fat and gluttonous when placed in a dark and damp environment full of refuse and the despondent cast off's of a wealthy society.
I am not alone in my beliefs that even in this dreadful situation, the Linux represents a growing market for the softwares. Microsoft has tried for years to offer their superior office suites and internet products to markets outside of the Vista, with little success.
And yet, this is a difficult exersize. Linux represents the old school, with its mainframe like interface, and arcane secret programming languages. Porting the softwares to this platform
involves hiring the hippies who understand this obtuse environment. These people are typically unreliable, and have difficulty living wth the regular 9-5 work ethic. They believe in intellectual property theft, free love, substance abuse, and marxism.
Microsoft has solved these issues in one brilliant sweep by paying cash for access to these Linux secrets, by making these cross patent deals with the linux 'Vendors'. This will allow for the interoperability that the corporations so dearly wish for - the ability to run the Microsoft Office, and the IE7, as well as the Vista on top of this growing but amorphous mass known as 'The Linux'.
In a short time we will all soon see the benefits of these cross licencing deals, and the softwares will expand out their user bases and be seen everywhere. Even the most die hard linux afficionado with matted hair and a red armband will salivate at the prospect of being able to run the IE7 on his precious linux.
on some $150 laptop project possibly being a scam:
MK Electronics
I have spoken to MK Electronics - a real and established electronics firm in Sweden - and also the Medison 'partner' who is handling distribution for this laptop, and according to them, its all real.
This is just bizarre.
Im sure if it was possible to sell a $150 laptop in quantity, then Microsoft would already be offering such a product.
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/r/GuyCry is a place for men to cry, including 40 year old virgins crying about not having s*x. Joe Truax, the meth head Reddit scammer, is in rehab (again) for his meth addiction so he got a bunch of jannies to oversee the sub. Well, he got unironically two FtM 
s, one MtF , and the rest are cishet females who want to totally just help men and be in their space.
Recently, the jannies decided that "tough love" is not good for men crying It resulted in lots of bans as the men (real) thought it was stupid.
The jannies have a new rule. The new rule is no suggesting prostitution or being a passport bro. Also, no bitching about Western women.. Too bad 40 year old virgins. You need to just keep trying with b-words who will never have s*x with you.
The men (real) are pretty pissed and the jannies are banning and deleting comments asking why women (real) are invading their space and making rules.
Complete victory for !project2025! Will Apple follow suit?
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Will Apple update their map as well?
Yes, when I check Apple Maps in 1 week, the Gulf of Mexico will be relabeled "Gulf of America" - 131 bets
No, it will still say "Gulf of Mexico" - 33 bets
Some other third thing, like both labels on the map. - 39 bets
It will say "Gulf of @Bussy-boy" - 7 bets
!bets !goomble !goomblers !goombling !project2025 !remindme 24 hours "close map goomble"
closed
Hypermuscular Hindu Hridaysamrat 
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Trump shared on Truth Social an article about Putin cheering on his tariffs and expressing satisfaction that they divide America and its European allies. pic.twitter.com/OxMn3bogFh
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) February 10, 2025
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Background: The enshittification of Argentina
This could be an effortpost purely on its own but I leave that task to our great friends from the southern hemisphere.
Argentina's July 9, 1989, Independence Day was historical for two opposing reasons. For the first time since 1928, a democratically elected president had been succeeded by another elected oneโleaving aside the Peronista reelection in 1952. But this much-longed-for event happened amid feared, raving hyperinflation. (Nothing new ever happens). Stepping down was Raul Alfonsin, who had become president on December 10, 1983 following a violent military government that had taken power with a coup on March 1976, the SIXTH since 1930.
Even though Argentina had been ridden with inflation for several decades, it still became more chaotic (proving no matter how shitty you think your positions are, it can still get shittier when it comes to economics) after a mega-devaluation and mega-tariff shock in June 1975 by the Minister of Economy Celestino Rodrigo, which infamously became known as the Rodrigazo. (Dude Spanish LeMayo)
Nine months later, after the coup, the military immediately tried to tame inflation with traditional IMF counter-cyclical measures, but to no avail. From the so-called hilariously named Rodrigazo, the country would live under what became known as a "high-inflation regime": verging on a 100 percent year rate of minimum inflation, but in most years, well over that level.
Note that In these situations, inflation almost becomes an index exchange 
That is, there would be inflation because investors have priced it in already, as in inflation in future because inflation in past.
Pic rel: you walk into Argentina's Central Bank
So in 1978, the Argentinian government, fresh from the high off of winning the FIFA WC, introduced their most radical plan till date: la tablita
La Tablita ("the little chart") was a 1978 stabilization policy, a pre-gradual devaluation scale schedule combined with an external opening of financial and trade sectors. In the prevailing abundant, low-cost, international credit environment, large amounts of capital entered the country, pressing the national peso down, checking inflation, and cheapening imports.
Unfortunately, God hates Argentina and the retards who run Argentina hate the country even more.
@nuclearshill be like
Despite bringing down inflation, La Tablita was far from ending it. Hence, the peso appreciation became considerable, damaging domestic industrial goods.
On top of that, the foundations of this pyramid scheme, however, were highly frail. It depended on the continuous availability of cheap dollar credit in international markets, something challenging to happen. Thus speculation against the peso grew. Spurred on by higher dollar rates and made possible by financial openness, many external and internal investors thrived on this terms of a "financial bicycle."
To avoid the abrupt end of La Tablita, the government itself took external debtโmainly through state-owned companiesโand made them available to speculative private agents or tried to gain their confidence by increasing the stock of international reserves.
The Arabs coming out to nuke Argentina in the ass 
After the 1979 Volcker shock because of the Arab oil embargo crisis, that raised dollar interest rates, the mounting dollar debt cycle became explosive. The dollar shortage led to a run on banks and a financial crisis in 1980, which the government had to save with rediscounts. The government established an official guarantee on deposits and, in February 1981, abandoned the Tablita schedule. Following an exceptional 10 percent devaluation of the peso, a new monthly devaluation chart was announcedโ greater than the original one, but insignificant in view of the accumulated appreciation in the exchange rate. In March 1981, it ended any kind of Tablita scheme and a new 30 percent devaluation was applied.
Absolute Acceleration 
After years of making new deals (with the US; mercosur, with the IMF) and failing to keep any of the promises they made and finally coming to terms with its thirdworldness, in April 1988, the government declared a moratorium on the service of foreign debt. This led to losing the support of the IMF. Hence, the only resource of fresh dollars left was the World Bank. (aka 3rd world support).
The Spring Plan launched just months before the 1989 election, was a stabilization program conceived with the modest purpose of avoiding the hyperinflationary outburst before the presidential election in May 1989. Without being able to adjust tariffs because of their inflationary effects and without being able to tax, the government made a price agreement with the leading companies, which resulted in the reduction of the value-added tax from 18 percent to 15 percent, which led to a 0.5% drop off in GDP. In mere months.
However, the election itself was the main factor of instability. The three leading presidential candidates (including Eduardo Angeloz, from the official party) called for the exchange rate liberalization. Peronist Carlos Menem, 
who widely led the polls, defied any justification of restraint, stating that it would interrupt external payments for 3 to 5 years, cut taxes 50 percent and give out a salariazo (100 percent increase in wages), among other populist and nationalist measures. Thus, exchange rate and fiscal instability are combined with political uncertainty. In retrospect, the only chance of The Spring Plan to reach its goal resided in the remote chance of a reversal of election polls in favor of the official candidate. Otherwise, with a foreseeable triumph of the opposing candidate, announcing a populist and nationalist platform, an abrupt run of funds to the dollar was unavoidable.
Fearing the inevitable the World Bank withdrew its support in January 1989.
The consumer price index, around 7 percent per month during the last quarter of 1988, doubled in March 1989 and again in April. Two months later, it was out of control.
Menem won in the midst of all this pandemonium. The handover of command was planned for December, but the outlook for the next five months was chaotic. Hence, the succession was brought forward for July 8.
The failed attempts to privatize several companies, the continuous erosion of public income due to inflation, the freezing of wages with high unemployment that intensified social discontent, with some goods-shortage, additional power cuts due to droughts that affected the hydroelectric plants, and the appearance of looting in Greater Buenos Aires, all combined to fuel the severe crisis.
With the change of government, inflation fell rapidly, but only momentarily. Amid prices still going out of control, a temporal confiscation of bank deposits was made, forcedly exchanging them with government treasury bonds (the Bonex plan). After two further hyperinflationary outbreaks between 1990 and 1991, new economic minister Domingo Cavallo could finally curb rising inflation with a radical currency board-style convertibility of the Argentinian peso (rebranded as The Austral in the mid 80s) 
to the American dollar.
The Uruguay Angle
What is an Uruguay?
Like all normal Americans, I had zero knowledge where Uruguay was, how much does one Uruguayan foid cost etc important questions before I started reading about them. Looking at them, few of us would envy them.
As Menem's Argentina was finally realizing its retarded policies, like Menem's Argentina during the 1990s, Uruguay had embarked upon a full-scale liberalization of its economy through liberalization of the capital and current account on the balance of payments. Uruguay's banking system was based on local private-owned banks, foreign banks, and large public banks.
During the 1990s, the Uruguayan economy performed relatively well; by the decade's end, it was a middle-income country with a per-capita income of US$6000. In 1999 the Uruguayan economy suffered a significant economic recession that resulted in multiple implications for the country's fiscal debt, the debt-to-GDP ratio, and the profitability and liquidity of the banking sector.
The twin devaluation of the Brazilian and Argentinian currency near Y2K hit the competitive position of Uruguay's exports and led to a currency appreciation. Like any other 3rdworldie, it immediately set conditions to terminate the exchange rate commitment of the Uruguayan currency that had helped stabilize the public debt during the 1990s. As a result of the 1999 prolonged recession, it was registered first as a major fiscal crisis, recession-triggered revenue reductions led the government deficit to surge from 38 percent of GDP in 1998 to 58 percent of GDP by 2001. By 2001 the public sector debt amounted to roughly US$107 billion.
This consecutively increased the country's dependence on foreign capital and investors: the deepening of the public deficit caused by the fiscal crisis forced Uruguay to issue foreign currency-denominated bonds and debt certificates to finance the Uruguayan debt. 
By December 2001, both liabilities and assets of the Uruguayan banks were highly dollarized. (Nearly 83% of public debt was in foreign currency). For reference if the US had that problem today, that would mean nearly 31 Trillion Dollars of debt in Chinese/Japanese/Euro currencies.
On the liability side, liquid foreign currency deposits amounted to 90 percent of total deposits, of which 47 percent were deposits by non-residents. On the asset side, about 75 percent of total loans were denominated in foreign currencies. By the time the crisis began, the two largest public banks (Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay (BROU) and Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay (BHU)) (ching chong names, just remember BROU and BHU) lay in critical financial condition because their ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was on average 39.1 percent, compared to 5.6 percent for the private banks. 
This chicanery along with growing share of total debt financed through issuing debt certificates abroad and in foreign currencies made the country and its banking sector extremely vulnerable to external shocks.
This came in the form of an Argentine shock
Throughout the postwar decades, Brazil and Argentina were the main trading partners of Uruguay. Argentina, even more than Brazil, was tied to the direction of the Uruguayan economy. As was the case with the early 1980s crisis, any time Argentina abandoned its price stabilization plan, the GDP of Uruguay contracted substantially. In contrast, any time Buenos Aires GDP declined, Uruguay's GDP grew modestly. (Exports needed, latina foids, if one fails, the other has to step up)
As the banking sectors of the two countries became interdependent. In particular, Argentinean savers and investment companies placed large amounts of funds with Uruguayan private and publicly owned banks. (Argentinians trusted their government so little, they were willing to invest in a tiny ass country, so much so that in time they became that country's main creditor 
) The Uruguayan banks had become safe financial outlets for Argentinean savers. By the end of 2001, 45 percent of Uruguay's total deposits came from Argentinean investors.
Not only this, buy at the time, the two national public banks (BROU & BHU. Remember them? This is them now. Feel old yet?) were owned by Argentinean financial groups. How you call something that is neither nationalized nor publicly owned a national public bank beats me. But that's how definitions work in Uruguay. And these were not the only banks to have their shit rocked. All the largest Uruguayan banks were primarily exposed to either Buenos Aires' public debt or the largest Argentinean banking groups.
In December 2001, the Argentinean authorities approved capital controls and deposit freezes on Argentine nationals. This decision, coupled with the termination of Buenos Aires' currency pegging 
to the US dollar, prompted many Argentinean investors to withdraw funds from Uruguay, thus plummeting its financial sectors into a liquidity crisis. The two largest private banks of Uruguay, Banco de Galicia Uruguay and Banco Comercial, were hit the most by capital outflows. Banco de Galicia Uruguay, then the second largest Uruguayan bank by assets, was a subsidiary of Banco de Galicia, the largest Argentinean group. (Just sell the entire nation to Argentina faggots)
As its banking activities revolved by and large around taking deposits from Argentinean banks and companies and lending to the same type of clients, the freeze of deposits and the enforcement of capital controls hit Banco de Galicia Uruguay, which suddenly suffered from a liquidity crisis. This led the Central Bank of Uruguay to suspend its activities in February 2002. As much as Banco Galicia, Banco Comercial, the largest private bank of Uruguay, was overexposed to Argentine's borrowers: it held a large amount of the Argentinian government's public debt. It was a significant creditor to Grupo Banco General de Negocio, a leading financial holding in Argentina. In 2002, this two-fold overcommitment to Argentina was the leading cause of the liquidity crisis that shook Banco Comercial that year.
Banco is a funny word NGL
By March, 12 percent of total bank deposits had been withdrawn, mostly by non-residents. This downward sloping trend continued even after the implementation of measures by the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to forestall the liquidity crisis. By May 2002, 18 percent more deposits had been withdrawn; this time, non-resident withdrawals were paired with money cashed by residents from public banks.
Why should Argentinians have all the fun?
- some Uruguayan(before jumping off a bridge after seeing an Argentinian doing it)
This faggotry reached its crisis point in July when the run on dollar deposits was coupled with a rush to cash local currency deposits. By mid-summer, most private banks had become insolvent; on the other hand, the public banks, though liquidity support provided by the IMF amounted to US$1,1221 million as of August 2002, suffered from significant liquidity imbalances and extremely precarious balance sheets.
In July, Uruguay's foreign currency reserves, which by December 2001 amounted to US$3.1 billion, reached the lowest level ever of US$650
$650
The crisis that erupted in 2002 had striking side effects on the Uruguayan currency, foreign exchange reserves, and the country's capability to service the public debt. Rather than merely affecting the liquidity position of Uruguayan private banks, massive capital outflows reduced the country's foreign exchange reserves.
Assuming the country's international reserves as of December 2001 as a benchmark, by the second half of 2002 they had declined by 80 percent. This decline in international reserves jeopardized the exchange rate commitment and, thus, the likelihood of servicing the public debt. (the only part that any government cares about beyond optics) This trajectory of the financial crisis led the Uruguayan authorities in July 2002 to halt the exchange rate commitment and to approve a 27 percent currency devaluation that led exports to temporarily bounce back by the end of 2002. But devaluation has a downside in terms of debt sustainability. 
The termination of the Uruguayan exchange rate commitment and its devaluation set the national debt to unsustainable limits.
The recurring deposit withdrawals that started in the first half of 2002 led to a credit crunch that triggered systematic curtailing of credit by private banks to the non-banking sector. During that year, banking credit to the non-financial sector contracted by 37 percent. Consecutively the GDP contracted by about 10%.
How the crisis was contained
Since the beginning, the crisis appeared to be a matter of liquidity shortage affecting a limited section of the banking system. Therefore, liquidity assistance to either the largest private banks of Uruguay or the foreign-owned banking institutions, as well as the public banks, represented an unfinished line of economic intervention by the Central Bank of Uruguay, the government, and the IMF, the three leading institutions that came to the rescue. Amidst a further deepening of the banking liquidity crisis in early summer, in July 2002 a new financial facility was established, the Fondo para la Fortificacion del Sistema Bancario, which amounted to US$2.5 billion.
it's okay little fella, here's some change. Keep it 
Notwithstanding the scale of this fund in July, both foreign exchange reserves and the liquidity of private banks got worse. On July 30, this Fondo's financial operations were suspended and a bank holiday began.
Crisista time? More like fiesta time 
Shortly after the removal of the bank holiday on August 5, 2002, a run on deposits began again. Amidst this seemingly neverending crisis, the government approved a law that, by combining an effort by the state finance with financial assistance provided by three leading international economic institutionsโthe IMF, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)โfocused on both protecting dollar-denominated deposits in the country and initiating a suspension of the operations of the three largest private banks that paved the way for their restructuring or liquidation.
total banco destruction 
The new law made provision for having the BROU absorb all the foreign currency deposits and time deposits held at BHU and for suspending the operations of Banco Comercial, Banco de Montevideo-Caja Obrera, and Banco de Credito. In addition, it set conditions for their restructuring or liquidation in the future. By the beginning of fall 2002, this set of measures led to a decline in total withdrawals and a resurgence of deposits by residents, which by 2005 had returned to their July 2002 level. During the fall of 2002 and 2003, the second set of crisis management measures was undertaken to restructure public banks' debt and strengthen the structure of banking regulation and supervision in Uruguay, which was historically not well structured.
A selected number of loans by BROU, which throughout 2002 had lost roughly 66 percent of total deposits, were absorbed by a newly created state entity, while the bank's lending operations were redirected to peso-denominated operations. A credit risk-management mechanism was established to reduce non-performing loans. The BHU, whose dollar-denominated deposits accounted for 77 percent of total deposits while 94 percent of total loans were peso-denominated, was severely rocked by the peso's devaluation. The bank was radically restructured by the Ley del Fortalecimiento del Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay in December 2002, limiting its banking operation to housing saving plans and issuing of a limited number of mortgages, but prevented the BHU from taking deposits.
Concerning the private banks, the three largest institutions were liquidated. The Banco Comercial and Banco Montevideo Caja Obrera were placed under liquidation, and a new financial institution, Nuevo Banco Comercial, was established. The purpose of this new institution was to issue Certificates of Deposits to finance the acquisition of the assets of the two banks under liquidation.
Concerning the Banco de Credito, the third largest private bank, the government recapitalized it several times and then, in February 2003, placed it under liquidation.
This taking a chainsaw action on the financial side of the banking crisis was paired with legislative initiatives to strengthen the supervisory and regulatory system charged with presiding over the national banking system.
Another law was passed to strengthen the Central Bank of Uruguay so as to not leave it as toothless as the Argentinian beggar asylum of a CB.
That new law imposed new requirements on banking activities that included higher reserve requirements for deposits by non-resident investors, several rules to reduce foreign exchange risks and improve lending-decision making by national banks, and compulsory disclosure by banks of relevant financial information about their borrowers' credit solvency.
By the end of 2002, the liquidity crisis that hit the banking system had triggered a contraction of total bank deposits by residents by about 46 percent and a reduction of total deposits by foreign investors of 65 percent. As a result of the crisis, the country's GDP declined by 11 percent, whereas total public sector debt grew by 26 percent.
In this situation, many international investors (read US, nobody except the US government and investors knew about Uruguay outside Latin America) envisaged the possibility of a sovereign default in the wake of what happened in Argentina.
But credit (kek) where credit's due. The financial measures adopted to restructure and liquidate the banking system, coupled with several regulatory and supervisory initiatives aimed at preventing the country from future crises triggered by external shocks, placed the country on track to full recovery and prevented Uruguay from suffering terrible consequences in terms of inflation and deficit.
By 2003 GDP had risen by over 12 percent, inflation had declined to 10 percent, the financial system's deposits had regained US$800 million, and the primary surplus had once again soared to 4.1%.
Moral of the story - To this day the Uruguayan CB still has certain capital controls on investors from Argentina that it has not placed on anyone else.
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oh youโre non-binary? thatโs interestingโฆ
— stepfanie tyler (@wildbarestepf) February 11, 2025
computers operate on a binary systemโevery piece of technology you use runs on 1s and 0s
DNA is built on base pairsโadenine only pairs with thymine, cytosine only pairs with guanine
electrical circuits are binaryโon or off, currentโฆ
!transphobes begin purge
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Most Based Comments
Basedness: ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐
While I can appreciate the emotion, lashing out at people who support us (even if it's a token effort), isn't going to help. I'm extremely angry myself, but it's important we don't become like Trump and alienate those who would be our friends. (416)
They are not our friends anymore, any of them. FAFO and find safety elsewhere (-44)
Basedness: ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐
While I can appreciate the emotion, lashing out at people who support us (even if it's a token effort), isn't going to help. I'm extremely angry myself, but it's important we don't become like Trump and alienate those who would be our friends. (416)
You dont have friends with the US.And neither should any country.We are passed that point. (-42)
Basedness: ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐
While I can appreciate the emotion, lashing out at people who support us (even if it's a token effort), isn't going to help. I'm extremely angry myself, but it's important we don't become like Trump and alienate those who would be our friends. (416)
Angriest Comments
Angriness: ๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก
2/3s???? Please get your facts straight before you write about the U.S. What do you think people should do when the richest man in the world spends 300,000,000 to rig the election with his starlink technology? Rich gun manufactures have flooded the country with guns, rich media has brainwashed many with hate. This is not about people simply voting. Voting no longer works here this is about greed. Greed won and Trump is just a tool along for the ride to get richer, the U.S. is for sale. Check your own country and beware, the destruction of democracy in our country should be a warning to all the world. If it can happen here it can happen anywhere. Everyone that can IS fighting back in their own way but I am losing hope. Greed kills everything. This has been a long unstoppable slow coup where the wealthy, religion, racist took over the government piece by piece coming together in a perfect storm. There are movements of civil war, movements of succession in blue states, the... (1)
Angriness: ๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก
Angriness: ๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก
2/3 of Americans did not vote against this bullshit. The trust is simply lost and over in my country (not Canada) I just feel that the USA can get lost. Fix your shit but do not threaten my country (you did, not you personally but you get it). (1)
Biggest Lolcow: /u/Nick42284
Score: ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐
Number of comments: 7
Average angriness: ๐๐๐๐๐
Maximum angriness: ๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก๐ก
Minimum angriness: ๐๐๐๐๐
NEW: Subscribe to /h/miners to see untapped drama veins, ripe for mining! 
autodrama: automating away the jobs of dramneurodivergents. 
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Wikipedia Drama: Gulf of America edition - 40
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Wikipedia's "talk" page on the Gulf of Mexico/America/Cuba/Florida has been in an uproar the past few weeks because of 
's EO to change its name. Some highlights:
If the international groups such as the United Nations group of experts on geographical names (meeting in April), the International Maritime Organisation and the International Hydrographic Organization opt-in to recognising the U.S. owned portion of the gulf as the Gulf of America, then I agree that we should concede to the name. Somejeff (talk) 05:12, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
To both sides of this "question", this entire discussion is moot, since the moment Donald Trump leaves office the next President of the United States will immediately reverse the name-change order. The Gulf of Mexico will remain The Gulf of Mexico so long as modern human society endures. Looneybunny (talk) 22:30, 1 February 2025 (UTC)
We should call it the Gulf of the Olmecs since they were there first 
Google just announced there changing it on their maps Bamaboi445 (talk) 23:01, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
Google is not Wikipedia. Accuratelibrarian (talk) 02:00, 29 January 2025 (UTC)
You had no problem with President Obama changing the name from Mount McKinley to Denali it's over if that's what president Trump wants that's what he gets you can still go on to Google maps and this nonsense on here Wikipedia and I still got to hear the same bullshit if it's good for the goose it's good for the gander it changes and it needs to be changed now today not yesterday because you don't like trump it don't matter I voted for Obama I voted for that change I didn't like that Mount McKinley got changed him out Denali but because I voted for it happened it going to happen fight it love it leave it it does not matter it's changing and we're not going to stop until it does 65.102.184.179 (talk) 10:07, 2 February 2025 (UTC)
In case editors don't realize, usage of this name has already begun: "an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida, etc." StAnselm (talk) 04:25, 22 January 2025 (UTC)
That "source" is from the POLICTICAL OFFICE of a well-known extremist right-wing supporter of Donald Trump. It is not a reliable, nor independent source, and therefore should be discounted Looneybunny (talk) 22:37, 1 February 2025 (UTC)
I don't see why a mention would be a problem considering the fact that American schools (and media) will soon be teaching it as the Gulf of America. Jstewart2007 (talk) 04:09, 22 January 2025 (UTC)
Also, the moment Donald Trump leaves office the next President of the United States, (who will, considering recent events, most assuredly be a Democrat), will reverse the order, and the "Gulf of America" will vanish as quickly as it appeared, just another example of exactly why Donald Trump was the worst pick for President in American history. Looneybunny (talk) 22:35, 1 February 2025 (UTC)
This Looneybunny person has posted similar comments on multiple reply chains even if it is questionably relevant
Seriously, how long are the admins going to drag their feet on an official government change? Regardless of whether people like it or not the Government of the U.S. as well as major state and private institutions will refer to it as the Gulf of America going forward unless the change is reversed. The title of the article doesn't have to change but the intro to the page should at the very least include "also known as the Gulf of America in the United States" and there should be a new page on the dispute itself like the pages for the disputes around names of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Japan respectively, instead of relegating it to two clearly tacked paragraphs at the end of the etymology section. No one else outside of the Koreas calls the Sea of Japan the "East Sea" but the article intro still recognizes the dispute's existence, why isn't this any different? Syracuse58 (talk) 00:10, 11 February 2025 (UTC)
Because it's Drumpf silliness and not something that has to be indulged here. Among all the other reasons given. Acalamari 02:54, 11 February 2025 (UTC)
I think we're going to be stuck fielding whatabouts from the people who erroneously believe that the United States should be allowed to rewrite reality like O'Brien from 1984 for a very long time if we don't start aggressively clerking this page. An RfC generally has a shelf-life of minimum six months. Can we please have a moratorium on discussions of American nicknames for the Gulf of Mexico for the next six months so that we have the clarity of consensus necessary to clerk these repetitive arguments promptly? Simonm223 (talk) 14:57, 11 February 2025 (UTC)
The nonsense is from those fighting so hard to pretend like the American government doesn't have the authority to name things. It's hilarious to see how quickly Wikipedians tripped over themselves to change Mount McKinley to Denali, and how hard they're ignoring the same arguments to change it back, same with this page. Ortizesp (talk) 15:20, 11 February 2025 (UTC)
Funnily enough, although both the Gulf of Mexico and Denali name change were part of the same EO, Denali's wikipedia page intro has already been changed to include the tagline "Denali, federally designated as Mount McKinley"
Oppose, see the example of Clingmans Dome, which was changed by Wikipedia the very same day Biden changed it. Funnily, all these scruples about COMMONNAME and all those "voices of concern" were nowhere to be seen. XavierItzm (talk) 01:13, 12 February 2025 (UTC)
This is a comment for the RFC that isn't open right now. Comparing a relatively obscure mountain in Tennessee to an internationally important body of water isn't doing this argument any favors, politically motivated or otherwise. Departureโ (talk) 01:57, 12 February 2025 (UTC)
We should rename the Atlantic Ocean to the American Ocean so that people stop worrying about the gulf name change since then it wouldn't be as big of a deal.
Strong Support It is important to address the elephant in the room here: There is a strong liberal bias on Wikipedia. By comparison, the Obama administration changed the name of Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015, and the Wikipedia editors were almost tripping over themselves trying to make the name change from Mount McKinley to Denali. I understand that the Gulf of Mexico is a different case in that the Gulf of Mexico is not entirely within the borders of the United States, as Denali/Mount McKinley is, but I think that at the very least the president's executive order must warrant changing the title to: "Gulf of Mexico, officially the Gulf of America in the United States." To me, any opposition to simply noting that it is officially called the Gulf of America in the U.S. is bald-faced activism protesting the name change more than it is actually rooted in reason, evidence, and consistency across articles. U.S. Federal Agencies will henceforth be referring to it as the Gulf of America. If someone sees the name Gulf of America on a U.S. Federal map and enters it into Wikipedia, they'll need to scroll down to the middle of the page and read a paragraph buried in the article containing irrelevant information such as a comedian Stephen Colbert's comments on the name to try to make sense of why they're seeing Gulf of America on a map. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia designed to transmit information; activism and bias should be discouraged. (For evidence of such activism and bias, just look at the opposing comments above describing this as a "stunt"; yet no one ever described Obama's name change from McKinley to Denali as a "stunt." Such opposing positions are not rooted in reason, only bias and activism.) Ambrosiaster (talk) 18:48, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
This really is the essence of false balance. "We shouldn't call something Trump does a stunt, unless we can also describe something unrelated that Obama did as a stunt." (We can unpack the facts if you like, but this isn't the Denali page; it's the Gulf of Mexico page.) Things can be qualitatively different from each other. Describing different things with different terms isn't bias, it's analysis. And sometimes the analysis can quite validly (if informally) be 'yeah, that's a stunt'. Biden claiming to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment was also a stunt. GenevieveDEon (talk) 19:17, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
NB: The above user is currently blocked from editing in the main space, as a sanction for having edit warred on the Gulf of Mexico article. GenevieveDEon (talk) 19:26, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Correct. And the editors who were warring to include comments from comedian Stephen Colbert and to revert the changes with even more frequency than me were not temporarily blocked from editing. Further evidence of bias and activism. Thanks for pointing that out. Ambrosiaster (talk) 19:31, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
That's an interesting linguistic tic you've got there, always pairing "bias and activism". GenevieveDEon (talk) 19:33, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Still waiting on that analysis you alluded to in your prior post. Ambrosiaster (talk) 19:34, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Nope. I mentioned that it's possible, which it is. I'm not here to perform for you; your own biases are showing. GenevieveDEon (talk) 19:37, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Figured that would be your response. Ambrosiaster (talk) 19:39, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Support in a way its very similar to Deadnaming if the federal government wants it to be Gulf of America then that is what it should be called. Did we have this type of vote when Ellen Page changed her bame to Elliot? I know its not a human but it still applies here. โ Preceding unsigned comment added by Fruitloop11 (talk โข contribs) 14:22, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
You mean his name'. And no it's not, because Eliot Page is the leading authority on what his own name is - it's within his power to choose it, and he did. He is, in fact, the individual affected. Neither the President of the USA, nor the US government generally, are the Gulf of Mexico, nor do they own or control it. It's international waters, and it is beyond the power of any arm of the US government to change its name unilaterally - even in common usage within the USA, never mind globally. GenevieveDEon (talk) 15:20, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
You are so terrified, I can tell your hands start shaking every time you type. The fact is it WILL be changed you need to stop harassing all support voters. Imagine if someone was allowed to harass you while you voted Harris, which you 100% did. Even another user has warned you to stop Fruitloop11 (talk) 15:33, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
Please refrain from personal attacks. You are wrong about my voting, for a reason that should be apparent upon reflection. GenevieveDEon (talk) 16:05, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
I'm literally about to report you for harassment. the admins will see user:Wildfireupdateman giving you a warning and the harassment you made against User:Ambrosiaster user:AnotherWeatherEditor and many others. and no, I will not call Ellen Page Elliot Page until you stop bothering people. Fruitloop11 (talk) 16:19, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
You are welcome to try. GenevieveDEon (talk) 16:26, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
Wikipedia Jannies hid this one in spoilered text simply titled "Enough."
Thank you. This user's engagement certainly veers more on mud-slinging than it does on civil discourse in my opinion as well: (1) She told me I have a linguistic tic and (2) She tried to undermine my position by claiming that I had a very temporary ban for an edit war. She is free to reason through it, but she is mostly engaging in name-calling and attempting to shame the support voters. Ambrosiaster (talk) 16:37, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
I knew before I posted she was going to reply to me, so I was on the defense. I think anyone will see this person isn't using the discussion board the way it is intended. It's all about bullying someone who doesn't have the views as you. Fruitloop11 (talk) 16:49, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
This strikes me as in line with Facebook's actions of lightening censorship and Twitter's actions of existing past 2022 of trying to be in line with the new Trump government because if I'm not mistaken they're facing a pretty serious federal anti-trust lawsuit. What shows up in Google maps does not necessarily reflect what is in common usage. Departureโ (talk) 01:24, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
You do understand that this is merely a question of entering in the lead ", officially Gulf of America in the United States," not to change the title wholesale. As pointed out earlier, the moment that the Obama admin changed the name Mt McKinley to Denali, liberal Wikipedia editors changed it forthwith and added the hashtag #ThanksObama! Common usage was moot at that time because everyone knows that the common used term was Mount McKinley, not Denali. But now all of a sudden common usage returns to the forefront. Ambrosiaster (talk) 04:18, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
In sum, stop treating common usage as a dispositive factor. It was not dispositive for Mount McKinley, and in that case, the entire article name was changedโa much more drastic measure than is being proposed here. Ambrosiaster (talk) 04:20, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
Wikipedia:No personal attacks: "Comment on content, not on the contributor." Better read up the policy. Also WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS. Gotitbro (talk) 04:58, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
I hope that is not directed at me. Defining someone who posted #ThanksObama in the edit line of the Denali article as a liberal is a personal attack? Read the link I shared above: While redirecting the Mt McKinley article to Denali, an editor inserted the political line into the edit #ThanksObama. That to me is far less neutral and inappropriate than me defining such an individual as a liberal. Certainly a conservative didn't write #ThanksObama. No one was attacked personally here. Ambrosiaster (talk) 06:13, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
Is Ambrosiaster Wikipedia's biggest 
?
Bonus: The Denali Wikipedia talk page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Denali
Opppose (changing the name back to McKinley on the website) per WP:COMMONNAME and WP:CRYSTAL. This move request is premature and entirely based on a political maneuver that likely is not going to affect the common nomenclature of the mountain. Its status among governmental figures is not relevant to the article's name. โ The Hand That Feeds You:Bite 15:19, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
In the above discussions, it's been made clear that both are common names. If "McKinley" is the name that the government and Associated Press are going to use, it should be given precedence as the title. Derpytoucan (talk) 18:02, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Are the majority of reliable sources going to follow the federal government and the Associated Press? Is every publication that adopts the AP stylebook going to discard Denali completely? It's too soon to tell, and we shouldn't react on the spur of the moment. XOR'easter (talk) 20:03, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
How many times is the goalpost of "well not ALL RS call it McKinley" going to be moved over the next four years? There's already a precedent that's been set when the article was renamed in 2015. If McKinley is a common name, and its the name that the federal government and Associated Press are going to be using, it should be the article's title. I'm fine with waiting until the Secretary of the Interior has actually made the name change official, and perhaps seeing how other RS call the mountain when reporting on that event, but implying that we need to wait any longer to rename the article is absurd, especially given the aforementioned instant renaming in 2015.Derpytoucan (talk) 21:31, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
Stop WP:BLUDGEONing the discussion. โ The Hand That Feeds You:Bite 23:53, 25 January 2025 (UTC)
I don't see this as bludgeoning. @Derpytoucan makes a good point. anikom15 (talk) 03:13, 26 January 2025 (UTC)
Repeatedly replying to multiple commenters is textbook BLUDGEON. โ The Hand That Feeds You:Bite 13:22, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
Talk about projection because that's exactly what you're doing. Esotericmadman (talk) 13:33, 30 January 2025 (UTC)
Bonus bonus: The edit page for the Gulf of Mexico webpage:
106 edits in the last 24 hours alone
I've always believed that Wikipedia is a goldmine for drama and petty squabbles between self-centered know-it-alls, but I usually can't care to look into it because I find the layout of their website atrocious.
!ifuckinglovescience what is the scientific consensus?
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Context: So, as you might know, the Drumpf administration offered a severance package to all 2 million federal workers to entice them to quit. This offer was sent out by some of Elon's flunkies that were recently employed by the Office of Personel Management. After this email, there have been several follow-up messages listing some questions and answers about the program.
Someone got the idea to respond to one of the emails asking more questions, and were automatically put on the list to be shitcanned.
Now to the comments:
Someone at our org CC'ed their supervisor on their resignation response and the supervisor got added to the list
Hahaha holy shit.
"Oh Mr. supervisor, I've just quit my job and it looks like I quit your job too. No takebacks."
Shocking that a bunch of clownfarts with no experience managing large organizations would make such a mistake.
Do you really think it's a mistake?
I had an out of office messageโฆ. Uhmโฆ ๐
This whole thing has been hold and we don't even know if it will be allowed 
. But the drama coin is already being paid out. !fedposters
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Effective immediately pic.twitter.com/81uVF0DzgD
— MoonPie (@MoonPie) February 12, 2025
Taking a jab at President Trump for giving the Gulf of America a proper name.
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JD Vance stormed out of a dinner with heads of state on Monday night when the Chinese vice-premier โstarted singing the praises of trade and the UNโ, according to a reporter in the room.https://t.co/0r9lZsZ1rl
— Finbarr Bermingham (@fbermingham) February 11, 2025
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- kaamrev : Death to vatziggers and magatards
student turned her into the cops anyway
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Ewer, 28, showed an unhealthy interest in her student that was noticed almost "immediately" after she started working at Brady Exploration School in August 2023, the DA Office's investigation revealed.
In November 2023, after the boy hinted at an improper relationship with Ewer in a classroom assignment that another teacher saw, authorities at the school contacted the Lakewood Police Department.
They soon uncovered evidence of a disturbing sexual relationship between the pair, including explicit text messages and signs that drugs, guns and alcohol had been introduced, per prosecutors.
Thousands upon thousands upon thousands" of messages were sent by Ewer to her student and vice versa, with references to many sexual encounters, according to prosecutors.
Ewer introduced the teenager to illegal and deadly drugs including fentanyl, First Judicial District Attorney's Office Special Victims Prosecutor Brynn Chase told her sentencing hearing.
She also attempted to get the boy to bring a gun to their sexual encounters as well as shoot a fellow faculty member in their school, the sentencing hearing heard.
Ewer told the boy "to bring the gun to school and shoot another faculty member in the leg," Chase said at the hearing.
Average dimwit American (aka teacher's) understanding of firearm usage
Ewer was sentenced to four years in jail on January 31, after pleading guilty last November to sexual assault on a child and contributed to the delinquency of a minor, both felonies, a month before her trial was due to start.
"I'm really sorry; this will never happen again," she said, as per the office.
Probably because nobody will let you around the 'tarded kids anymore
Before her brief spell there, Ewer had worked at several Jefferson County public schools in various roles, including teaching assistant, paraprofessional, and school nurse, since 2015.
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