Today's political act

I wrote to my Indiana State Representative today.... here's what I wrote:

  I ask that you consider introducing legislation similar to that of the recently pulled HB 1937 of the State of Texas.
  Here's the link to their web site about the bill:  http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=82R&Bill=HB1937
  It would criminalize the types of searches the TSA has been doing, which are in violation of the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution.


  In introducing this, you would show that you stand for the rights of your fellow Hoosiers. We don't have as much air traffic to worry about, so their is less fallout. You would also show some distance between yourself and the DC beltway crowd, which will probably come in handy soon, as they keep debasing the dollar, leaving the States out to dry.
  Thanks for your time and attention.

Delphi Starter Edition sucks

So we went and got Delphi XE starter edition.

The feature matrix is confusing, to say the least... but if you look at the sales page, it makes it very clear that the difference between the Starter and Pro editions is in the licensing of applications. Check the link above, or read the description yourself (retrieved May 11, 2011):

Delphi XE Starter is a great way to get started building high-performance applications for Windows. Delphi Starter includes a streamlined IDE, code editor, ultra fast compiler, integrated debugger, two-way visual designers to speed development, hundreds of visual components, InterBase Express for connectivity with the InterBase database, and a limited commercial deployment license.
If you’re an individual you may use the Starter Edition to create apps for your own use and apps that you can sell until your revenues reach $1,000 per year. If you’re a small company or organization without revenue (or up to $1,000 per year in revenue), you can also use the Starter Edition. Once your company's total revenue reaches US $1,000, or your team expands to more than 5 developers, move up to the Professional edition with an unrestricted commercial license.

The REAL difference is in functionality, not licensing... the refactoring and other reasons for upgrading from Delphi 7 are MISSING in the "starter" edition.  This is NOT mentioned here... and definitely should be. I suspect this omission is deliberate. Starter edition should instead be renamed "bait".

Oh well... can't get a refund... don't want to pay $500 to see if the next level up is more crap.

Delphi XE sucks.