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Re:It's not the gas... by David_Hart · 2015-02-01 08:12 · Score: 2 · on NFL Asks Columbia University For Help With Deflate-Gate

i solved this issue on day one. they injected hot gas into the football right before the pressure was measured. pressure was fine with the hot gas, but once the gas reached ambient temperature the pressure was lower. Using the ideal gas law I calculated the gas would need to be 30 C (about 55 F) hotter than ambient. Completely feasible.

science, bitches!

I'm willing to bet that you used 2 PSI in your calculations as that is what was initially leaked as the pressure difference for all of the footballs. There have been further leaks saying that only the intercepted ball, the one in possession of the Colts, was 2 PSI low. The rest were supposedly under 1 PSI low.
http://www.businessinsider.com...

Based on the information from Billichick, it's likely that at least one of the footballs, if not more, were roughed up (which is what they do the prepare the footballs) just before the testing. This also could account for the internal temperature of the air being higher than ambient.

For those asking the question about whether the league should understand what happens to footballs, the answer is that Yes they should. But No, they have never seen the need to delve this deeply into it before. The Refs don't even put the football pressure readings on paper when they test them, assuming that they are actually doing their job and using gauges. You would think that in this day and age that they would test each football, record the readings, and stamp it with a random bar-code.

They could probably use a temperature gun to measure the ball temperature prior to taking the pressure reading. Or, for that matter, the pressure gauge should have a temperature gauge built in. Enter this information into an app along with game time weather and they could use it to set the football pressure for game conditions.

There... an new App for the Microsoft Surface... Football Pressure Calibrator for Weather Conditions (FPCWC)....

PS: I would have typed that this would be a new app for the iPad, but the NFL has a marketing deal with Microsoft.

Re:Windfall taxes are a crap idea. by Yakasha · 2015-02-01 05:32 · Score: 4, Informative · on Obama Proposes One-Time Tax On $2 Trillion US Companies Hold Overseas

Except that's not what Apple is doing. See the fact that Apple US paid 6 billion dollars in US taxes on 18 billion profit.

That is what they told you. The US Senate grabbed Apple's IRS paperwork and found a check for $2.5 billion.

What Apple Europe (which is in Ireland) does is holds all the profits that Apple makes in countries other than the US, because they can't bring that money back into the US. The US wants to charge a second round of taxes, even though European taxes have already applied.

European taxes have not been collected because of the tricks Apple uses. The EU is pursing Apple for dodged taxes as well. One of Apple's subsidiaries paid absolutely no taxes at all for 5 years despite $30 billion in profits. $0 taxes, $30 billion profit.

This is the same thing that the US does to dual nationals - a US/UK dual citizen working in the UK will pay income tax both to the UK and to the US, because the US thinks they're entitled to taxes on money made abroad.

Does said US citizen get to hold his US passport? Does he get to use US Embassies? Will he be rescued by the US military if kidnapped in Iraq? All that costs money. And the guy gets to deduct from his US tax bill anything paid in the UK anyways.

The reality here is that what should change is the US's policy of taxing all money everywhere, whether or not it ever had anything to do with the US.

As long as it has nothing to do with the US.. I agree the US shouldn't tax it. Last time I drove through Cupertino though, I'm pretty sure I saw a giant Apple logo behind a bunch of people carrying Apple Ids. At least one of Apple's Irish subsidiaries has zero employees though.

They always [conveniently] miss facts... by bogaboga · 2015-01-31 01:38 · Score: 5, Informative · on How, and Why, Apple Overtook Microsoft

"Unique, disruptive innovation is really hard to do. Doing it multiple times, as Apple has, is extremely difficult."

"Unique, disruptive innovation is really hard to do. Doing it multiple times, as Apple has, is extremely difficult." That's why Apple has had its share of failures..."

Additions mine. This is one fact that a simple google search would have shown. One may ask, are the authors of these pieces paid?

How can she live on such a low income? by Futurepower(R) · 2015-01-30 18:28 · Score: 1 · on Cutting Through Data Science Hype

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty Made $16 Million Last Year -- Is She Underpaid?

Top 10 Reasons Why Ginni Rometty Will Fail as IBM's New CEO

Summary from the article:
1. IBM Forgot Who They Were.
2. Ginni Has No Vision for the Future of IBM.
3. IBM Executives are out of Touch.
4. IBM's Sales Culture is Poison.
5. IBM's Executive Compensation is Misaligned.
6. IBM's Rape, Pillage & Burn Acquisition Strategy.
7. IBM's Offshore Model will kill its Services Business.
8. IBM Sells Futures. What is IBM's strategy? Smarter Planet?
9. Watson is not the Panacea.
10. IBM Seems to be Preparing to Sell its Services Business.

Re:What's more irritating? by leonardluen · 2015-01-29 03:34 · Score: 1 · on One In Five Developers Now Works On IoT Projects

i like "The Cloud" mostly because you can play on peoples fears of what happens to their data when the cloud starts raining and send them into a panic.

it also helps that 51% Of People Think Stormy Weather Affects 'Cloud Computing'

Re:And yet. by Plumpaquatsch · 2015-01-29 01:57 · Score: 1 · on Apple Posts $18B Quarterly Profit, the Highest By Any Company, Ever

Also what is in their annual report isn't necessarily accurate anyway, so don't just throw that link at me.

Apple wasn't even reporting its U.S. taxes accurately, either, the Senate subcommittee found. Its annual report disclosed it paid much higher U.S. taxes than it actually paid to the IRS. To investors, Apple said it paid $6.9 billion in U.S. taxes in 2011. But it actually only paid the IRS $2.5 billion, according to its tax return. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com...

Err-hunh. Yeah. That's why Apple has been fined for not paying their taxes. And no, Apple hasn't said they paid those taxes, they said they provisioned that amount for taxes. IOW they stated what taxes they would have to pay for all of their profits, but only actually paid out to the IRS that which they owed by not repatriating foreign profits. Which is not only legal, it is required by tax accounting rule APB 23 unless you plan to invest those foreign earnings abroad permanently.

The only difference to most other companies is that Apple doesn't pretend to keep it there in their statements (even if they don't actually want to without a repatriation holiday), while others pretend to do that to make their profits seem higher (even if they then actually have to bring back those earnings). Recent example is eBay which "paid" over 300% taxes first quarter last year because they repatriated "permanently invested" foreign earnings of $9 billion.

Are you actually going to blame Apple for the cluster-fucked up tax (reporting) laws in America, just because they are not only smart enough to make a profit, but because they also actually pay taxes?

BTW, Apple reports how much taxes they paid (in total) under the all to obvious moniker "Cash paid for income taxes, net". Which for FY 2014 comes to $ 10,026 million - most, but not all as federal income tax.

Re:And yet. by sociocapitalist · 2015-01-28 00:25 · Score: 1 · on Apple Posts $18B Quarterly Profit, the Highest By Any Company, Ever

Also what is in their annual report isn't necessarily accurate anyway, so don't just throw that link at me.

Apple wasn't even reporting its U.S. taxes accurately, either, the Senate subcommittee found. Its annual report disclosed it paid much higher U.S. taxes than it actually paid to the IRS. To investors, Apple said it paid $6.9 billion in U.S. taxes in 2011. But it actually only paid the IRS $2.5 billion, according to its tax return.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com...

Re:Regulation what a fucking joke by Anonymous Coward · 2015-01-27 04:59 · Score: 0 · on Davos 2015: Less Innovation, More Regulation, More Unrest. Run Away!

Income inequality is greater than what existed in the gilded age! These levels of inequality are made possible by regulation and free market impediments, not for lack of them.

I agree income equality is a huge and growing problem, but this statement is factually incorrect. For an example, look at this article. Gilded age inflation adjusted net worths:

Cornelius Vanderbilt - $185 billion
Andrew Carnegie - $309 billion
John Rockefeller - $336 billion

Lack of social ability at Microsoft by Futurepower(R) · 2015-01-25 03:56 · Score: 0 · on Brought To You By the Letter R: Microsoft Acquiring Revolution Analytics

A huge problem at Microsoft seems to me to be that people there, or maybe just the leaders, seem socially unsophisticated. In fact, neither of the articles quoted below explains the underlying reason that Microsoft is buying Revolution Analytics. That needs to be explained. (All quotes retrieved Sunday, January 25, 2015, around 07:00 PST.)

In The Official Microsoft Blog there is a lot of corporate-speak, of the kind used by people with no actual interest in a subject who nevertheless want to be considered knowledgeable:
"find ... value"
"data-driven decisions"
"reduce the ... skills gap"
"enterprise-class platform"
"analytic solutions"
"advanced analytics within ... platforms on-premises"
"we are at the threshold"

From another article linked from that article, Revolution Analytics joins Microsoft, by "David Smith, Chief Community Officer":

"Microsoft might seem like a strange bedfellow for an open-source company..."

It was not a good idea to use the word "bedfellow". That word is more appropriate for a novel. The primary meaning of "bedfellow" is "a person who shares a bed with another".

'CEO Satya Nadella proclaimed "Microsoft loves Linux" '

On the surface, that makes no sense. Below the surface, is Microsoft trying to say, "We want Microsoft to be popular"?

"We're excited the work..."

That should have been "We're excited [that] the work...".

I'm not the only person who feels uncomfortable with those statements. One of the comments to that story is this one:

"What a joke. You're really working hard to try and convince readers that this is a good match, going on and on about how supportive Microsoft is of open-source. You were probably sweating while trying to come up with excuses as to why this is good, knowing that you were typing bullshit. I would suggest growing a pair of balls and just being honest, but I'm sure you've never had to do that in your career. -- Posted by: Anonymous | January 23, 2015 at 11:22"

David Smith replied to that comment: "Anonymous, I've never been anything but frank on this blog and this is no exception. I'm truly excited for the future, and I'm sure I speak for the rest of the team as well. -- Posted by: David Smith | January 23, 2015 at 11:25"

Sometimes the lack of social ability at Microsoft is shocking. The cover of the January 16, 2013 issue of BusinessWeek magazine has a large photo of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer with the headline calling him "Monkey Boy". See the BusinessWeek cover in this article: Steve Ballmer Is No Longer A Monkey Boy, Says Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The BusinessWeek cover says "No More" and "Mr.", but that doesn't take much away from the fact that the magazine called him Monkey Boy -- on its cover.

In many years of following such things I have never seen such disrespect of a CEO. Of course, whoever wrote the cover headline was merely repeating a common phrase applied to Steve Ballmer by people in the computer industry.

Worst CEO: Quote from an article in Forbes Magazine about Steve Ballmer: "Without a doubt, Mr. Ballmer is the worst CEO of a large publicly traded American company today."

Another quote: "The reach of his bad leadership has extended far beyond

Re:Size by interkin3tic · 2015-01-23 10:06 · Score: 1 · on What Will Google Glass 2.0 Need To Actually Succeed?

You seem to be assuming that operating glass hands free is safer than pulling out your phone. This sounds unlikely to me given the available data.

Outside of a car, again, pull out your smartphone's camera.

I didn't say I hated glass.

Re:I predict... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-01-23 01:11 · Score: 0 · on Senator Who Calls STEM Shortage a Hoax Appointed To Head Immigration

We built the society and worked up a system which accumulated wealth and concentrated it within our borders — why wouldn't we be entitled to keep it and maintain this lifestyle?

The problem is that the rich thought that they could get richer by outsourcing, never thinking that everyone else would do the same and that this would engender a race to the bottom, and a day in which the people who used to be their customers can't afford their products: http://www.businessinsider.com...

Re:If NSA thinks they are so great ... by Anonymous Coward · 2015-01-18 21:14 · Score: 1 · on NSA Prepares For Future Techno-Battles By Plotting Network Takedowns

I saw that math done comparing against the afghanistan war Afghanistan before:

For comparison:

The average worker in Afghanistan earns about $426 per year.
There are only about 30 million people living there.
The US could have paid every single person there like 53x their annual salary (or 4x their salary every year for the 12 years) to be friendly to the US and do whatever we wanted (kill poppies, grow poppies, build pipelines, blow up pipelines, arrest the Taliban, support the Taliban, or whatever the policy makers wanted).

Re:I would rather see 1000 terrorists go free... by shutdown+-p+now · 2015-01-18 19:50 · Score: 1 · on Obama: Gov't Shouldn't Be Hampered By Encrypted Communications

You know who has trouble with "bad cops?" The people who don't respect authority in the first place. The people who have done things that harm others and the society at large. My daughter will never be in a confrontation with the authorities - never become a Michael Brown - because she has been raised to understand the need for the police and for keeping the peace (as much as I can teach her).

Your daughter will be in confrontation with authorities if, say, her house gets SWATed on a false charge (because an unreliable informant pointed at it), or simply because they got the wrong address or the wrong door. She won't get a chance to say "yes sir, please and thank you", because she won't be asked - the first thing she'll know is when her door is blown off the hinges with a shotgun and a flashbang comes in. Maybe it lands into her baby's crib, too. Maybe she gets a limb or two broken when they put her face down into the floow. Best case, they will only shoot the dogs and mess up the room with the entrance before they figure out something's wrong and leave (with no apologies and no compensation for damages).

Or perhaps she'll be driving around with a couple thousand dollars in cash, that she won in a lottery, and gets stopped by cops because they'll claim she's speeding (but really because she's cute). And when they see the money they will claim that such a large amount in cash is suspicious, and arrest it as proceeds from drug sales, because they get to pocket a good part of it for their PD (i.e. to buy more toys like MRAPs and .50 BMG sniper rifles for themselves).

If she is black, it might get even more interesting. For example, during a routine traffic stop (for which she needn't do anything wrong, they might just be randomly pulling people over) an officer will ask her for ID, and she'll reach for her pocket because that's where the wallet is... and get shot point blank because the officer thought she's reaching for the gun. Because that's what he thinks of first when he sees a black person reach for their waist.

Or maybe she'll get arrested on an outright false charge just because she happens to come across a cop who "just hates niggers, that is all".

FYI, all of the above is not a figment of my imagination. It's all real stories that happened right here in USA with different people. The chances of something like that affecting your daughter are still orders of magnitude higher than the chances of being killed by a terrorist. So rather promoting more surveillance state, you might want to talk to your representative in Congress about police militarization first.

Re:Hypocrites, liars and communists. by pixelpusher220 · 2015-01-17 11:10 · Score: 1 · on Why We Have To Kiss Off Big Carbon Now

But it is still only 1 theory of many.

That makes sense and hasn't been as yet, dis-proven. If it's so bad, that should be easy right?

I'm not saying its false, though there has been many articles pointing out some flaws in some of the data and conclusions on that.

Sources please. And not from 'biased' right wing sites...since you're so concerned with this.

It is a complex system, and skeptics study it and one of the main skeptics points is that there is much more to climate than just CO2.

And one of the favorite go to 'more' reasons is water vapor. You've now come full circle in your reasoning.

"Nope, no problems" is something you just said, not skeptics with science backgrounds trying to get their studies published, but being rejected because it doesnt jive with the IPCC.

Are you denying that climate 'skeptics' stated with "It isn't warming" and have now largely shifted to the position you're now holding that, "Ok, it's warming but we can't prove it's related to us". Talk about moving the goal posts.

And as for being unable to publish? Bull fucking shit. There's a great big internet for them to publish on. If their ideas have merit, they'll be picked up on. Unless they flatly ignore data to make a point...

Climate is not weather, weather is not climate. We all know that, its funny how this is brought up by people like you for winter, but you all keep silent everytime there is a scientist or when the media brings it up when there is a hot week or warm spell for a short time.

Rush Limbaugh is the one who brought it up during the last east coast blizzard.

You know who is also pretty silent in the summer? The skeptics saying "huh, it's hotter this year, might be global warming". You do know that Australia just had a summer so hot, not just warmer than average, but so hot they had to redraw the temperature gauges? So hot they've never had temps even near that range. linky

Seems the bias is strong on the warming side in politics and in the media. But thats ok right? Because it fits with your beliefs.

My 'beliefs' are based on science. Yours seem to be in spite of them.

Re:poor summary by jfengel · 2015-01-15 07:39 · Score: 1 · on Uber Suspends Australian Transport Inspector Accounts To Block Stings

I thought the idea of Uber wasn't to be cheaper, but more convenient. They have more drivers out working than the taxis, since it's a part-time job rather than a full-time job, and can attract drivers at surge times with higher fees.

According to http://www.businessinsider.com..., a taxi is actually cheaper than Uber in New York, and about even after tipping. But the real win is not having to hail a cab or deal with the unreliable dispatching service. They use GPS more effectively to provide better feedback. They're also a single service, rather than dozens of cab companies.

I suspect that the cabs could provide much better service by incorporating part of Uber's business model. It's a bit disturbing to me that they seem to want to win based primarily on requiring a regulation limiting the number of cars. Not that Uber is playing nicely, at least not from what I read on teh intarwebz, and if so I'd be happy to see them beaten out by somebody who will be less predatory.

Re:Schedule C is not Only for Business by LynnwoodRooster · 2015-01-12 14:41 · Score: 1 · on Intuit Charges More For Previously Offered TurboTax Features, Users Livid

It's about 32% of all households a lot more common than most people think.

But you can take intelligence away by clawsoon · 2015-01-12 03:54 · Score: 1 · on Education Debate: Which Is More Important - Grit, Or Intelligence?

But you can take intelligence away, with as simple a device as asking a poor person to imagine an expensive car repair.

Re:It's a first... by grep+-v+'.*'+* · 2015-01-11 09:02 · Score: 2 · on NASA's New Horizons To Arrive At Pluto With Clyde Tombaugh's Ashes

I did not know that -- it's very sweet; good for them.

Now, I do have an off-topic question: When God finally arrives and brings back everyone from the dead:

a) Does that also include cremations? (Probably so -- just add water.) Dismemberment? (Super Glue.)
b) Will He do it more than once? I can just see Gene waking up in the shadow of the moon, and then immediately expiring because of the non-existent atmosphere and cold. So is this a one-time thing, or does God hit Ctrl-Alt-Del repeatedly until it finally works?
c) God brings back to Earth all of the travelers that have managed to escape Earths' gravity. (Sounds kinda like a shepherd -- "That's not your yard, get back over here. Stupid sheep.")
d) God doesn't bother. "You really want to leave? Have at it." (Wonder if any lawyers will take it up with Him since their potential clients are missing out.)
e) Does that also include video-game characters? NetHack, Mario, Gordon Freeman, etc? (What about PacMan and GLaDOS?) And what about Sweetie?

Enquiring minds want to know

Re:Just visit the damn Moon by Anonymous Coward · 2015-01-10 01:45 · Score: 0 · on NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission May Not Actually Redirect an Asteroid

Got another example of "far off into the future"?

Fusion power
Flying car
Another flying car

The loudest football stadium by steveha · 2015-01-08 11:36 · Score: 2 · on How a Shaking Stadium Is Helping Scientists Track Earthquakes

The Seahawks stadium is designed to be loud. It tends to focus noise rather than dissipate it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CenturyLink_Field#Home_field_advantage

http://www.businessinsider.com/seattle-seahawks-stadium-loud-2014-1

http://mynorthwest.com/25/702605/Why-NFLs-new-noise-rules-may-hurt-the-Seahawks

I guess the fans like to do loud things like stomping as well. So this really is the right place for this sort of experiment.

Re:re-post the cartoon by jomama717 · 2015-01-07 03:41 · Score: 4, Informative · on Gunmen Kill 12, Wound 7 At French Magazine HQ

Best I can find so far

Stupid shit by Anonymous Coward · 2015-01-07 02:33 · Score: 1 · on Intel Pledges $300 Million To Improve Diversity In Tech

Maybe Googe wouldn't have a problem getting qualified people if they stopped pulling stupid shit like this.

Years ago, my placement office told me about interviewing for a certain company. One of the questions was "Hoe many diapers are sold in the US per year?"

There must be some industry organization that has the numbers or I could get it from annual reports of the diaper makers or find how many newborns from the Census.

Here's the answer that got someone hired because it showed how they "think":

"Well, there are 300 million people in the US and 10% are child bearing age. 10% of those have newborns. So, 3,000,000."

Well, then people who know how to bullshit and sound good get jobs - not facts.

Why did this company have such a BS hiring process?

Because one of their C-level PHBs read it in an inflight magazine and saw that Google and Microsoft does BS like this and if they're so successful, it's because of that.

Hiring wouldn't be so fucked up if PHBs would stop with the management ideas du jour, stop reading the business books on the NYT bestseller list and let their first lines pick the candidates that they want.

Re: Stick a fork in, Uber is done. by nbauman · 2015-01-03 21:04 · Score: 1 · on Uber Must Submit CEO Emails

Surge pricing is an effective way to get drivers in the road. I am an Uber driver that only drives during surge because i can make $50 - $60 an hour. In other words, drivers are incentivised (sic) to drive on holidays, late nights and weekends because of the bump in pay. If there was no surge pricing on New Year's Eve more than half of the drivers would have been home with their families.

Unfortunately there is an enormous consumer resistance to paying $100 or $170 for a trip home from a bar, which is what Uber customers paid on New Year's in New York City. And there are very few customers who are willing or able to pay those rates.

If you only drive during the surge, you're not going to work that many hours, maybe 4-5 hours a day, and your commercial insurance, Uber's 20%, gas, maintenance and other expenses will take a big chunk of that. According to this article, http://www.businessinsider.com... Uber drivers typically make $250-300/day for a full-time shift.

When I knew a lot of cab drivers, most of them would drive a 12-hour shift, so if you're not willing to drive holidays, late nights and weekends, other people are, as long as there are riders. That's where the free market incentivises people, just with normal taxi rates, without the $100 surprises.

Maybe you figured out a way to do it, or it fits into your schedule. I'm glad for you, but I don't think it can be scaled up to a viable economic model.

Re:Chinglish by Anonymous Coward · 2015-01-02 22:47 · Score: 1 · on What Language Will the World Speak In 2115?

and anyone who learns the local dialect, will always be fluent in mandarin as well.

What you say is similar to claiming that anyone who learns Italian will always be fluent in Spanish.

There are very many Chinese who can't speak Mandarin even in China: http://www.businessweek.com/ar...
http://www.businessinsider.com...

Re:Physically compromising routers is "mundane"? by Rujiel · 2015-01-02 10:46 · Score: 1 · on NSA Says They Have VPNs In a 'Vulcan Death Grip'

A hardware-maker allowing its devices to be physically compromised by the government is absolutely not mundane--give me one example of this news being reported elsewhere before the Snowden leaks. Our own government disagrees with you, since it has taken great lengths to warn US businesses not to use Chinese networking hardware, for fear that the Chinese would do just what it is proven our own government has done.

http://www.reuters.com/article...

"Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, at a press conference to release the report, said companies that had used Huawei equipment had reported "numerous allegations" of unexpected behavior, including routers supposedly sending large data packs to China late at night."

And international markets agree with me (and not you) on the gravity of this news for Cisco's outlook:

http://www.businessinsider.com...

Cisco's CEO, John Chambers:

âoeI do think (the NSA revelation) is a factor in China.â In May 2014, in response to the alleged NSA spying programs, Chambers wrote the Obama Administration, âoeif these allegations are true, these actions will undermine confidence in our industry and in the ability of technology companies to deliver products globally.â

From a former NSA agent:
"The constant stream of news about NSAâ(TM)s activities has raised broader questions, particularly internationally, about the security of technologies coming from U.S. companies. This has been measurably hitting the bottom lines of companies like Cisco and Juniper and caused many companies to look to alternatives like Huawei."

How's that for "mundane"?

Re:WHY GOD WHY by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-31 04:43 · Score: 0 · on Microsoft Is Building a New Browser As Part of Its Windows 10 Push

Here you go, you lazy fuck.

Also, I was wrong. That story was from 2011, so there are likely a lot more Windows PCs now than when it was written. Let's be reserved and just say 1.5 billion Windows installations as of 2015. No other OS even comes close to those numbers.

Open office innovation .. by lippydude · 2014-12-30 19:36 · Score: 1 · on The Open Office Is Destroying the Workplace

@50000BTU_barbecue: 'The "open office" is just cost-reduction masquerading as some sort of innovation.'

Not only that, it's also dangerous, as in if your PHB crosses your live of sight you're liable to utter 'asshole' under your breath, and the very sensitive microphone would pick it up and the client on the other end of the phone might think you were referring to them. This really happened to a friend of mine ...

Re:Cheaper by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-30 06:43 · Score: 0 · on United and Orbitz Sue 22-Year-Old Programmer For Compiling Public Info

Here in the USA it's all about screwing the traveller.

If this was true, why are the airlines constantly teetering on the edge of bankruptcy with razor-thin margins? They should be rolling in cash, and they're not. Why? Because air travel is hugely competitive and a great deal for the flying public.

Airlines on the edge of bankruptcy? Hah! Their own trade association claims otherwise:

"The global airline industry should make a all-time high net profit of $19.7 billion in 2014, according to the latest financial outlook from the International Air Transport Association (IATA)."

Re: Do users really care? by 7-Vodka · 2014-12-28 16:51 · Score: 4, Interesting · on Snowden Documents Show How Well NSA Codebreakers Can Pry

I see a lot of similar comments, but I liked yours so I'll address the themes here.

First, facebook is not the only problem. You're kidding yourself if you think it is. The list of technology companies that sucker their users are as long as the list of technology companies that sell 'the cloud'. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft etc.

Worse than this, the evil is not marketing. The real evil is the secret pact between the tech companies and the government's monopoly on the initiation of force, for the benefit of a minority of oligarch families. The elite's technology branch

The real evil is the patriot act, the capture of government, the capture of industry and the subversion of the constitution. All tech companies are a part of this, most willingly, some unwillingly or unwittingly and the only honest ones are forced to shut down.

The capture of the government and industry is nothing new, but it reached tremendous success in the 20th century. First they captured the congress and the judicial, then the executive, then the monetary system and then they really captured the executive with the JFK assassination. Don't forget where some of the recent oligarchs originated.

Are you against marketing?
are you for privacy?
are you for honesty as a virtue?
are you for Free Software?
are you for the constitution?
do you believe in free will? (or that you should act as if it exists)
do you believe in the traditional family?
are you religious?
are you for sound money?
are you an Austrian or a keynesian?
do you believe that there really is a 2 party system in the USA?

Do you see it yet? if you rule out the vast majority of the population based on internet usage, you're out of whack. Firstly because that's not the real problem.

Also, you might have MUCH MORE in common with someone who uises fb daily than on someone who doesn't, based on your OTHER principles and virtues.

It's like saying, "I'll only hang out with people who are atheists.". That's not enough. In 10 years time that could still be all you have in common. Or they could change their minds.

Finally I would just like to remind people that not only is the USA responsible for millions of deaths around the world, it now tortures people.

If you refuse to interact with people who support these acts, how will you ever change their minds?

Oh and just for good measure. A fucking surveillance blimp. The internet of things is coming to spy on you from the sky 24/7. Is it not enough that you've captured the mass media? If you were to only hang out with people who share all your principles or most important beliefs, you would not hang out with anyone.

Furthermore, having intelligent debate with people who disagree with you (and are virtuous enough to have an intelligent debate) is the only way that you can make any sort of real progress in self discovery and discovery of the universe. If your ideas an principles are not challenged, if you don't go back to first principles to figure what what's really important, if you don't re-assess your beliefs in the face of new evidence, you'll never improve.

Re:Same goes for upper management? by NewYork · 2014-12-27 17:10 · Score: 1 · on Paul Graham: Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

Globalization is a giant Ponzi/Pyramid scheme.
http://www.businessinsider.com...

Teachers' prestige, not their pay by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 01:43 · Score: 1 · on Boston Elementary, Middle Schools To Get a Longer Day

Increasing hours is rather less important than increasing the prestige of teaching as a profession (note: this does not and should not mean paying more to teachers). The total time in instruction is in the OECD 2012 report [PDF], at chart D1.1, while the rough breakdown into subjects is in charts D1.2a, D1.2b, and D1.2c for different age groups.

In summary, Finns spend among the lowest formal instruction times in the OECD. For example, 9-11 year olds in Finland spend 640 hours per year at school lessons, while the average in the OECD for that age group is 821 hours. The hours for the USA are not indicated, as there is a good deal of variation among the states, but only 8 of them require less than 800 hours per pupil per year (some insanely require more than 1000).

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Re:WTF UK? by rwa2 · 2014-12-24 10:11 · Score: 1, Offtopic · on UK Man Arrested Over "Offensive" Tweet

Quit trolling, GP never said anything about the US being a paragon of free speech protections.

Yep. The US Government is usually far behind most technological trends, but you can bet there's a good reason that the US has been archiving every tweet to the Library of Congress. They may not be using it for witchhunts right at this moment, but you can bet your keister it's gonna be trawled big-time for political fodder whenever it's expedient to perform a good ol' fashioned character assassination or simply to throw someone in jail.

Re:Relying on user reviews is stupid by davester666 · 2014-12-24 08:56 · Score: 3, Interesting · on TripAdvisor Fined In Italy For Fake Reviews

A judge ruled that this practice wasn't extortion, but "hard bargaining". Hilarious.

http://www.businessinsider.com/court-rules-yelp-can-manipulate-reviews-2014-9

Re:Interesting. I'd think the opposite by blahplusplus · 2014-12-24 06:36 · Score: 2 · on The World Is Not Falling Apart

Problem is both the above posters are ignorant. Modern publics are so illusioned they don't know which end is up.

Reasoning and the human brain doesn't work the way we thought it did:

Domain: businessinsider.com

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