As a precision, the symbol you describe (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IEC5009_Standby_Symbol.svg for a good hi-res version of it) means “standby” in the sense of electronic standby, IEC 5009. Standby meaning what most TVs and electronics do these days, they’re “off” but still using power in some way (or else remote controls wouldn’t work on them). IEC 5008 is actually the true Power On/Off symbol, a circle with a vertical line inside of it ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IEC5010_On_Off_Symbol.svg ).

It’s use as a “Power” symbol under the IEEE 1621, however, and it’s be popularized as such (I for one saw it so many times in AppleGeeks!). But it can have both meanings, and that meaning can even change depending on your configuration! In Windows, you can change that button so that it puts the computer to sleep, or powers it down, or hibernates it.

So, in the case of the Gateway M275, they’re probably using it as the IEC 5009 “standby” or “sleep”, because a lot of people (including me) rarely shut down their computer and only put it to sleep. It’s a question of convenience, I’m sure.

Yes, it is hard to criticize the general concept. But the general concept of meat eating has become so corrupted as to be almost unrecognizable. Finding truly humane meat is very difficult (and expensive!), which leaves vegetarianism as the only option if you wish to avoid cruelty.

Dinner invitations are tricky, but the course of action is fairly simple. As soon as you are invited (and not a minute later), you specify that you are vegetarian. Most people will be fine and can handle it. If their reaction is clearly confusion about what they could possible serve, you can offer to either go out together, have them over instead, or bring a main dish to share. It’s common enough these days that almost everyone will be able to handle it.

I don’t think we can criticize eating meat as a general concept, since both our evolutionary and our Biblical ancestors did so, under God’s command. That being said, you do have a point about ugly conditions in which commercial meats are raised.

Lastly, how do you plan to handle dinner invitations? I can be very awkward if one is invited over for dinner then refuses to eat what has been prepared.

I always thought tofu was bad for some reason. Just goes to show what stereotypes our society has.