AndyMan

Chicago is sucking in a really bad way. Yesterday was windy with gusts over 30, and today is thunderstorms. We're hoping for a good day monday. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Thats funny. I just switched from Yahoo to Hotmail because Yahoo sucks. Hotmail spam filter seem to work better for me. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I think it really depends on the issues you mentioned, but haven't elaborated on. Many DZ's are very reluctant to give refunds. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I'm in the market for something like this. Why should I should buy one of these over a Stroboframe? _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

D'oh! When did that show up? Exactly what I was looking for.... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I don't care about "coding purity", nor do I care about people proving themselves before moving on. I do assume that when somebody asks "what tool should I use?", they're really asking "how do I get started?" I assume they're looking to learn something. I love dreamweaver. I own it, and use it for certain tasks. It's not an easy tool to master, though. Recommending a beginner use Dreamweaver is like recommending somebody who's never used a digital camera go buy a copy of Photoshop - it's just too much tool. Unless the person happens to be really bright, they'll just get frustrated and say "screw it". I never recommend anybody ever uses FrontPage. I just can't comprehend what Microsoft was thinking when they came up with that product. There's just too many things wrong with it. Notepad or Textpad, and a good book on HTML is a very good primer for somebody trying to get started. Beginners will quickly see that coding HTML is really easy, they'll see results quickly and will start something they can easily add on to. Most importantly, they'll understand how their website is constructed, and when they want to do something their editor doesn't "wizardize", they'll know how to do it. One editor I used to recommend for beginners was called "Hot Dog". It eventually "matured" to the point where it was trying to do too much, and got too confusing for a beginner to use. It eventually got bought by Allaire, I think - and disolved. Speaking of Allaire, I also used to really like their HomeSite product. I thought it got discontinued, too. The last version I saw ended up being way too complicated for what it was supposed to be, and I haven't touched it since. I can imagine a simple template based tool that teaches by example. Hot Dog used to be that. I just don't know what any of them are. Of course the downside to Templates is that sites start to look the same, but we're talking beginner tools. People can progress to more complicated tools later. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Earlier I used as example that its possible a priest might be charged if he wants to condemn a gay man. I missed the point. It's an acknowledgement that handing out flyers denying the holocaust cause just as much fear and intimidation as burning a cross on somebody's front lawn, and is just as fundamentally wrong and unjustifiable. If you were to ask me how I expect the laws to be enforced, well - now its illegal to be a gay basher. Once the amendement goes through it'll be a hate crime to threaten to be a gay basher, or use imagery or propaganda to instill the same kind of fear. A few years ago I remember a gay man got killed by being dragged behind a truck down south somewhere. I remember the entire world was shocked by the depravity. I can imagine someone might use imagery or descriptions of an event like that to try to instill fear. The amendment would make those attempts to instill fear crimes in themselves. Those are the kinds of events this law targets. The enforcement of these laws have always been very narrowly targeted, and I don't expect that to change. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

What really sucks is the ESPN camera work and commentary. Where's the CBC when we need them? BTW - 4:1. Game still over, but nice comeback. Series still interesting. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

As a Canadian, allow me to be the first to say that I don't give a rats ass if any American supports Canada's hate laws, or not. Different kinds of speech are criminalized in every country, everywhere. This isn't new. Most Americans don't have a problem with how speech is limited in the US. Most Canadians don't have a problem with hate laws, either. Besides, I'll take Canada's track record on protecting individual rights any day over Americas. I can't be held indefinitely without trial in Canada. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Actually, I lied. I didn't use notepad, I used Textpad. I've also played with SlickEdit, but didn't like the GUI. I find I'm using Crimson Editor quite a bit now, too. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

When I read your question, I saw something that looked like this: "I am going to learn to skydive. Should I buy a Javelin or a Mirage?" Learn to design webpages first, then pick a tool to make that task easier. When I designed the webpages for Rubbermaid, LittleTikes, and Molson, my tool of choice was called Notepad, and comes free with every version of Windows. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Unless you need the mobility or portability of a laptop, definately get the desktop. Desktops are 1) cheaper 2) more reliable 3) easier to upgrade In the desktop world, you can not beat the price:performance of Dell. I would avoid Sony VAIO. I've had a few go accross my desk, and they choose very odd suppliers for some of their components. I've had trouble finding video drivers, for example. As for specs, I'll give you the same advice I give anyone else. Buy the most expensive machine that you can afford. That might be a $300 entry-level, or a $3000 gamers delight. Where in that range you'll find yourself is entirely based on what you want the machine to do. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Sure. Is this one of those cases? Well, the anti-hate laws have been around for 10 years, and most Canadian support them. Canada has a pretty good track record of repealing laws that didn't work out. There aren't many people calling for the repeal of this one. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

If you could make the tags have more columns and rows, that'd be really cool. The 60 X 5 format makes it dificult to edit larger posts. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

My bad. It sounded like you were saying that the movie was far more entertaining then if it had been based in reality, and Global Warming ended up having no effect on us. Apologies for the misunderstanding. I'll go back to work, now.... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Just like in the US, it's decided by the house, affirmed by the executive, and reviewed by the courts. I don't see the confusion....? _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

The treaties are innefective? I'd agree with that. Especially since they've not been ratified. Since the EU tied Russian membership to Kyoto Ramification last week, the odds of ramification increased significantly. That's a good thing. Now show me something (reliable, and peer reviewed) that says its not happening. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

"Global Warming ended up having no effect on us". I'm amazed that you think a: Global warming is over (it's hardly begun) and b: Global warming has not had an effect on humanity, or even Americans (Most permafrost in Alaska isn't permanent, anymore). _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Exqueeze me? http://news.google.com/news?q=global+warming+arctic+thaw&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&c2coff=1&tab=wn _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

This is a concept Americans rarely do understand. Yes, Americans can learn something from a foreign country. That's not a bad thing. Again, there are differences between Canadian and US culture. One major difference is that Canadians tend to value the rights of the group over the rights of the individual. This is one example. Just like I lambasted PeacefulJefferey for ripping apart Bowling For Columbine without actually seeing it, I'd do the same to an American who insists this law is wrong without understanding Canadian culture. Canadians by and large DO support the anti-hate laws. This amendment is nothing new, other than expanding the groups of people protected. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Damn straight they will. It'll be amazing when they take the series, too. Did Awwnold ever cough up on the wager he made when San Jose lost? I understood the wager was for $1000. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I don't understand. Are you suggesting that the winners of American Idols don't deserve recording contracts? Are you suggesting they haven't worked pretty much their whole lives to get to where they are now? Is American Idol any different than American Bandstand, or "Reach For the Stars", or any of the similar shows that go back decades? I don't know much about Aretha Franklins early days, but I'd be willing to bet that at least one point in her career, she "got a lucky break". Why is the winner of American Idol less deserving of a Lucky Break than Aretha Franklin? I hope you're not suggesting that the people on American Idol haven't worked their asses off to get there. Clearly, as demonstrated by the skill of the performers, that isn't the case. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

They do have a point, here - actually. The Canadian hate laws started to come into being in the last 10 years or so. Originally they were crafted to be used against racist organizations like the Klan and skinheads who were gaining ground in Canada during the 80's. The most used parts of the laws cover acts that already would have been illegal. If you kill a black person because he's black, previously you would've been guilty of murder or manslaughter, now you're guilty of a hate crime. The point of this section was to make it easier for police to prove motive, and it gave a handy classification for hate crimes being as such. The second part of the laws do in fact govern what was formerly "free speach". The best example here is that the laws have been used repeatedly against Hollocaust Deniers. People have in fact been imprisoned for distributing anti-semitic pamphlets insisting the hollocaust was a Jewish plot to take over the world. The amendment to the laws will include GLBT's in the list of protected groups. There is controversy in Canada because a lot of people think it is acceptable to say some very mean things about gays. There's an acknowledgement that somehow its acceptable for a priest or pastor to condemn a gay man, even though that pastor would never say similar things about a jewish man, for example. This amendment is an efford by the government to be leaders, which often seems odd to Americans. Laws rarely pass in the US that don't have wide social support. Canada (and Canadians) is more willing to pass unpopular laws in an effort to change society. This is one of those cases. It's true that Canada doesn't have a "first amendment". American Rights always tend towards preserving the rights of the individual. Canadian rights have always tended towards preserving the rights of the group. This is a fundamental difference in the "Bill of Rights" in the two countries, one that is pertinent to this discussion. It's true that this bill would outlaw many kinds of anti-gay rhetoric that's very common in the US. That rhetoric is far less common in Canada. It's true that this bill would infact send a message to churches and political organizations that Gay people are in fact just as protected as Jewish people. Just as a priest can't make anti-semitic remakrs, if this law passes they won't be able to make homophobic remarks, either. Let me be the first to say, this is a good thing. It should be noted that the debate in Canada over homosexuality is far less vitriolic then the US. Canada's largest church does in fact ordain gay ministers, and sanction gay marriage. There are openly gay members of parliament at the provincial and federal level. By and large, this law won't affect priests, because for the most part priests WOULDN'T condemn a gay man like is common in the US. A lot of Americans have trouble with this concept, which is fine. They don't live in Canada, and the laws don't affect them. By and large, Canadians seem to not only accept these laws, but embrace them. Foreigners should not judge Canadian laws with the filter of the US Bill Of Rights. Foriegners should not assume that just because Canadians have Different rights, that they have no rights. The Canadian Bill of Rights was crafted relatively recently by Canadians, and grants them the rights that they demanded. A different discussion altogeather is that I think American rights have been completely eroded over time, and Americans largely do not have the rights they think they do. However, in Canada peoples rights are exactly as they were when the constitution was drafted in 1982. There is no illusion in Canada that hate proaganda is protected speech. It's not. Produce hate propaganda on a scale big enough to get noticed, and you will find yourself in court. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Allow me to step out on a ledge, and say that Fantasia has pipes that put Aretha Franklins to shame. The womans voice is quite simply amazing. I do wonder if there's something funny going on with the two contestants that are left. I think Diana DeGarmo should've been booted weeks ago, she's got some major tonality issues - she doesn't even sing consistenly in key. I wonder if the only reason she was kept around was because she was white, and fox didn't want two african american finalists. I would have much rather seen LaTonya London in the finals, she's absolutely amazing. I can't see how American Idol would have any credibility if Diana (the white girl) won. She's been consistenly critized by all 3 judges, for very good reason. If the world is as it should be, I don't think there's any question that Fantasia (the single african american mother) will be taking home the big award, campaign by sexist and racist right-wingers or not. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Does the prohibition against Americans buying F-16 fighters hinder the airforce's ability to supply those planes in adequate quantities? Manufacturers have always, and will always be drooling over the prospects of selling their wares to the military. The availability of items outside the population at large does not affect the availbility or the price paid by the military. Take for example the iconic $300 toilet seats... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.