Quoting AGSCalabrese : > Carlos > I gotta say... you don't have any idea what is in my mind. I am 58 > and I have had plenty of time to absorb > the lessons of life and to choose which ones I will ignore. Some > people cannot give up being > nannies, psudeo-moms, busy-bodies who tell you to put on a jacket > before you go outside. > If I only had to listen to their ditherings , I could probably deal > with it. ... > Unfortunately, most nannies don't stop there. They gang together to > make laws. > You have to wear a seat belt. You have to wear a motorcycle helmet. Personally, I'm not in favor of such laws being applied to adults, even though they probably save me money in health care related taxes, because they limit freedom without a (IMO) commensurate benefit to third parties. Not to say it isn't a rather good idea to wear a seatbelt or helmet, of course (but in places like Taiwan it's less common because of the heat and lack of visibility). > You can't build a fence without > government inspections. Yeah, well.. they'll tell you what colors you can't paint your house too, if you choose to live in that sort of place. >You can't take drugs without gatekeepers reviewing your dosage. More like job security in that case.. > You can't commit suicide. You can't assist a friend who wants to die. Practically criminal IMHO. The Netherlands has some enlightened laws that will enable suffering to be ended in hopeless cases. Others have quite different beliefs about this for religious and ethical reasons. > It is clear to me that I am smarter ( SMARTER ! ) than 99% of the > human race/. While this is a low bar > to clear, it has led me to two conclusions. > #1 Nobody is smart enough to tell me how run my own life. > #2 I am smart enough to realize other people's lives belong to them > and I have no business mucking with them > unless they invite me to. Sounds like you take things personally when they were not so intended. A waste of time, but it's your life. > When I ask for advice about engineering and physics and science, I > expect and anticipate intelligent and > informed comments from PIClisters. Postings on the PIClist are publicly viewable and archived. Even if a contributor was positive that YOU were in fact in the top 1% of skill, knowledge and ability when it comes to matters electrical (in which case, what are you doing asking questions in the first place?) and not some kid fooling with a stack of PC supplies from the trash, any information, recommendations or advice could be read and acted upon by anyone else who comes along, indefinitely into the future. The odds would be that it might be from someone in that 99% of people who are less capable than yourself, no? Many of us here are Engineers, who are not only acutely aware of potential consequences of our actions, but are also cognizant of a professional legal and ethical DUTY to attempt to prevent harm to others as a result of our actions. See, for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_of_care Note that it includes free advice (not contractual) and covers third parties separated by geographical distance and time (precisely the situation on the PIClist). It's also common sense as well as being common law. >When and if I ever require advice > on whether to wear my coat when it > is cold , I will go to nanny.com ................. When I want > advice about breathing I will talk to my partner. Heavy breathing? > Best to all the nannies > Gus Heavy breathing? Nannies? Bikes? I'm getting this weird Queen flashback from '78.. (down beside that red firelight..) Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist