October 29, 2003, 00:21
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#1
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ACS Staff Member
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 10,595
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The Future Is Here
Wow, I saw the coolest thing today. The future is truly here.
Its this vending machine the size of a small bus that can spit out all sorts of cool things. I just got a free DVD rental from it as part of a promotional deal.
Its all paperless too, I don't think it takes cash, just cards. A swipe of a card and a few touches to the video screen and the big machine spits out my DVD. So freaken cool. I'm still in awe of it.
In addition to a huge list of movies its got, it has all manner of convenience store stuff. Pop, snacks, toiletries. I was tempted to buy something just to see how the whole conveyor belt gizmo works, but I guess I'll try it out when I return the DVD. I got The Hulk btw.
This is so freaken cool. Totally automated, totally unmanned. Very quick, efficient, and easy.
The future is here.
__________________
I was thinking to use a male-male jack and record it. - Albert Speer
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah
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October 29, 2003, 00:28
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#2
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Emperor
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: New England
Posts: 3,572
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More american jobs down the drain.
__________________
"mono has crazy flow and can rhyme words that shouldn't, like Eminem"
Drake Tungsten
"get contacts, get a haircut, get better clothes, and lose some weight"
Albert Speer
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October 29, 2003, 00:31
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#3
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ACS Staff Member
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 10,595
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Naw, its just different jobs.
People are still needed to make these machines and stock these machines and fix these machines.
And if these machines lead to less time spent standing in line at long convenience stores it'll increase productivity and create jobs. Plus increased sales of this merchandise will increase sales at the manufacturers of the products sold in these machines.
Trust the invisable hand, pinko.
__________________
I was thinking to use a male-male jack and record it. - Albert Speer
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah
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October 29, 2003, 00:32
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#4
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King
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: of Meridian Hill, Washington D.C.
Posts: 1,383
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Was this the one one 18th Street Adams Morgan?
__________________
R.I.P George Alexandru 9/8/07
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October 29, 2003, 00:35
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#5
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ACS Staff Member
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 10,595
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Naw, this one was across from the White Flint metro stop on the Red Line. But yea, I think I heard about the one in Adams Morgan. Never really thought about it much, but when I ran to Kinkos tonight I spotted this big thing and I was very much intrigued.
__________________
I was thinking to use a male-male jack and record it. - Albert Speer
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah
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October 29, 2003, 00:38
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#6
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Deity
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 21,822
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Quote:
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Originally posted by monolith94
More american jobs down the drain.
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Except that now, these people can be employed making entirely NEW things, like these machines 
__________________
[Obama] is either a troll or has no ****ing clue how government works - GePap
Later amendments to the Constitution don't supersede earlier amendments - GePap
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October 29, 2003, 00:42
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#7
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Prince
Local Time: 06:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: People's Republic of the East Village
Posts: 603
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Quote:
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Originally posted by Timexwatch
Was this the one one 18th Street Adams Morgan?
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I saw that last weekend. Weird ...
__________________
- "A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it still ain't a part number." - Ron Reynolds
- I went to Zanarkand, and all I got was this lousy aeon!
- "... over 10 members raised complaints about you... and jerk was one of the nicer things they called you" - Ming
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October 29, 2003, 00:44
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#8
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OTF Moderator
Local Time: 05:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 13,063
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that nis cool
UJon Miller
__________________
Jon Miller-
I AM.CANADIAN
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October 29, 2003, 01:35
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#9
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Emperor
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: New England
Posts: 3,572
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"People are still needed to make these machines"
Baloney. They'll be made in mexico.
__________________
"mono has crazy flow and can rhyme words that shouldn't, like Eminem"
Drake Tungsten
"get contacts, get a haircut, get better clothes, and lose some weight"
Albert Speer
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October 29, 2003, 01:36
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#10
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President of the OT
Local Time: 05:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 40,843
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What we need is a machine to generate litter so we can hire people to pick it up.
__________________
"I'll never doubt you again when it comes to hockey, [Prince] Asher." - Guynemer
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October 29, 2003, 01:52
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#11
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Emperor
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Detached
Posts: 6,995
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Quote:
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Originally posted by Asher
What we need is a machine to generate litter so we can hire people to pick it up.
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Those machines already exist. They're called humans.
[/cynicism]
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October 29, 2003, 01:54
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#12
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President of the OT
Local Time: 05:28
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 40,843
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More humans then.
Everyone pair up!
__________________
"I'll never doubt you again when it comes to hockey, [Prince] Asher." - Guynemer
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October 29, 2003, 02:07
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#13
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Emperor
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
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Location: Detached
Posts: 6,995
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If only that worked... *sigh*
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October 29, 2003, 02:16
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#14
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Emperor
Local Time: 04:28
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: hippieland, CA
Posts: 3,781
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The only thing that really needs a vending machine for is beer.
__________________
Visit First Cultural Industries
There are reasons why I believe mankind should live in cities and let nature reclaim all the villages with the exception of a few we keep on display as horrific reminders of rural life.-Starchild
Meat eating and the dominance and force projected over animals that is acompanies it is a gateway or parallel to other prejudiced beliefs such as classism, misogyny, and even racism. -General Ludd
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October 29, 2003, 02:24
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#15
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King
Local Time: 23:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,709
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Quote:
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I saw that last weekend. Weird ...
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this coming from a guy with HAL as his avatar.
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October 29, 2003, 02:28
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#16
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Prince
Local Time: 21:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Posts: 834
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Quote:
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Originally posted by skywalker
Except that now, these people can be employed making entirely NEW things, like these machines
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That is until they develop machines that will make these machines.
Then how about machines to make the machines that make these machines? 
And for people to stay up the top of this, they will continually need retraining, which will of course take over much of their time either at work where they need to be to get paid and keep things running until the new systems are in place, or in their own time, which could make things much more stressful. Balancing 8+ hours of work, 3 hours of training as well as friend and family commitments while getting in enough hours of sleep each day will be extremely difficult.
__________________
"Corporation, n, An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility." -- Ambrose Bierce
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." -- Benjamin Franklin
"Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction." -- Thomas Jefferson
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October 29, 2003, 06:29
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#17
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Emperor
Local Time: 12:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: a raving alcoholic drama queen with a penchant for the biosciences
Posts: 3,646
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They're testing one of those things in London I seem to recall. Except I think the British version also serves alcohol. 
__________________
Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
-Richard Dawkins
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October 29, 2003, 06:31
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#18
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Emperor
Local Time: 03:28
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Location: Batallón de San Patricio, United States of America
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Cool as hell!
Jon Miller
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"Let the People know the facts and the country will be saved." Abraham Lincoln
Mis Novias
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October 29, 2003, 07:59
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#19
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King
Local Time: 12:28
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: AUERSTADT
Posts: 1,757
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The whole idea behind this kind of innovation is to make two tests in the best places in the world, which would show that the machine pays for itself in one year or less, then to sell master franchises to guys who will sell franchises to guy who will sell the machine to people expecting a big return without to much effort.
__________________
Statistical anomaly.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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October 29, 2003, 08:51
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#20
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Deity
Local Time: 13:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Republic of Flanders
Posts: 10,747
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Quote:
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Those machines already exist. They're called humans.
[/cynicism]
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Too late, dammit, and I had the same wording too.. 
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Quote:
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More humans then.
Everyone pair up!
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[insert cheap homofobic comment]
 j/k
__________________
#There’s a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right #
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October 29, 2003, 17:11
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#21
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ACS Staff Member
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 10,595
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Quote:
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Originally posted by monolith94
"People are still needed to make these machines"
Baloney. They'll be made in mexico.
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And Mexicans aren't people? 
Racist, american-centric commie. 
__________________
I was thinking to use a male-male jack and record it. - Albert Speer
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah
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October 29, 2003, 17:36
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#22
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Emperor
Local Time: 11:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Mu Mu Land
Posts: 6,570
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[/quote]People are still needed to make these machines"
Baloney. They'll be made in mexico.[quote]
Naw, it probably some Hindu making these to get back at his brother who opened up a 7-11 right across from his Circle-K...
I'm going to hell 
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October 29, 2003, 18:02
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#23
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Deity
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Not your daddy's Benjamins
Posts: 10,737
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These are probably made in Japan, not Mexico (yet). They've already been around for a long time in Japan, as I understand.
As long as they are well-stocked, I think it's a great idea. Wish they would put a couple in my neighborhood. Adams Morgan is too far away.
The local CVS is 24 hours, but they don't seem to stock anything well.
__________________
I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891
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October 29, 2003, 18:47
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#24
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ACS Staff Member
Local Time: 07:28
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 10,595
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I'm not sure i'll be getting food from it, but movie rentals will be great.
I'm still on my parent's Blockbuster account, and they *always* turn their movies late and have 20-30 bucks in late fees on the account when I try to rent stuff. Screw that. I tried to get my own account, but Blockbuster is so anal about that. I can't get a Blockbuster account unless I have a driver's license with my current address on it, and like 2 other forms of identification.
With this new gizmo, i just swipe my debit card, and it spits a DVD out at me. Quite nice, no hassle.
__________________
I was thinking to use a male-male jack and record it. - Albert Speer
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah
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October 29, 2003, 21:05
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#25
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Emperor
Local Time: 13:28
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Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Copenful Wonderhagen
Posts: 4,490
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I can't get a Blockbuster account unless I have a driver's license with my current address on it, and like 2 other forms of identification.
Don't you hold a passport? OK, I reckon fewer Americans than Europeans would. That ought to be the most reliable form of identification, or so I'd believe.
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October 29, 2003, 22:14
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#26
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Emperor
Local Time: 06:28
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Illinois
Posts: 8,595
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Cool -- another type of vending machine that Americans can get fatter from.
__________________
STFU and then GTFO!
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October 29, 2003, 23:16
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#27
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ACS Staff Member
Local Time: 07:28
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 10,595
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I've got a passport, but I think that also has my old Michigan address on it. So it wouldn't work for Blockbuster.
__________________
I was thinking to use a male-male jack and record it. - Albert Speer
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah
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