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Elon is not the only genius who thinks an MBA is bogus and he's 100% correct; but we have to give FZ his due as he was way ahead of the curve on this thinking.

" When people started taking MBA seriously, that was the beginning of the ruination of the American industrial society. When all decisions are based on an MBA's concept of numerical reality, you're in deep shit, because the only thing that can be judged as real is that which can be proved by a column of figures. And when all aesthetic decisions are turned over to these kinds of people, who use these criteria to make steering decisions for a company with no regard for people and no regard for what the product really is, and the only thing that matters is maximizing your profit, you have a problem. Because you can't have quality then; you cannot have excellence. Quality's expensive. I think most of these people that come from business schools have the desire to make sure everything is cheesy. That's what happens when you do things that way." - FZ

http://home.online.no/~corneliu/mother1.htm

MBA's are trained to look for immediate returns, and not for long term planning. In their career, it is here today, make the company show a good balance sheet by selling assets, get a healthy bonus, and move on. Devastation on two legs.

Engineers with MBA's have a career. Even here, I only appreciate an MBA individual if he gets his degree after 5 - 10 years in industry. And then, after 5 years in as a department head with his MBA knowledge, so he can learn about people, and markets and the ability of the company to make right hand turns.

Elon is not the only genius who thinks an MBA is bogus and he's 100% correct; but we have to give FZ his due as he was way ahead of the curve on this thinking.

" When people started taking MBA seriously, that was the beginning of the ruination of the American industrial society. When all decisions are based on an MBA's concept of numerical reality, you're in deep shit, because the only thing that can be judged as real is that which can be proved by a column of figures. And when all aesthetic decisions are turned over to these kinds of people, who use these criteria to make steering decisions for a company with no regard for people and no regard for what the product really is, and the only thing that matters is maximizing your profit, you have a problem. Because you can't have quality then; you cannot have excellence. Quality's expensive. I think most of these people that come from business schools have the desire to make sure everything is cheesy. That's what happens when you do things that way." - FZ

http://home.online.no/~corneliu/mother1.htm

Or if you knew that when they did wrong it could be amended just by a proper re-vote instead of having to implement drastic measures like carving the right to bear arms into a constitution which will fly out of the window anyway if a government really wants to implement evil...

Democracy is no guarantee that you can trust the government. If a politician knows that the electorate can't stop him he may decide to end democracy if the electorate chose the "wrong" option. If the electorate is well armed he is forced to think twice as he may get hurt while ending democracy. If democracy remains it still won't stop the majority from following the European tradition* of voting to violate the God given rights of other people. If the minority is well armed the majority is forced to think twice as they may get hurt while implementing the new policy.

Information the government has on you won't disappear when the government changes. In the future the government, with or without the consent of the voters, may use DNA to choose their next victims. The DNA of some individual they want to get rid of can be planted as false evidence of a crime. Targeted bio weapons may also appear. When the Nazis invaded Norway during WWII they found government registers that specified if the person on the list was Jewish or not. Guess how this information was used.

* The popularity of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin among their European subjects wasn't unique. Here in Norway the Labor party government did forced sterilizations (link in Norwegian) as a part of its socialized medicine. People kept voting for them. (The law was removed in 1977. The Labor party is a part of the current ruling coalition. An award carrying the name of Karl Evang's name is still handed out. As far as I know the Labor party no longer support forced sterilization)

This reminds of the old Real Programmers, Real Software Engineers, and Real Computer Scientists.

It's hard to imagine a new Alien movie being any good after all the crap since Aliens.

William Gibson wrote an interesting if flawed script for what could have been Alien 3, but it seems like they've missed a few obvious wins:

1.) The aliens get to earth and it's all out war. 2.) We find the alien home planet and it's all out war.

I prefer the Python interactive shell and GNU Octave (or any other Matlab-compatible environment, including Matlab itself) for numerical calculations, Asymptote for plots and other methods of data visualisation, Maxima when a CAS is in order and LaTeX to turn all the stuff generated by those packages into something readable and publishable.

Throw in some scripted links between all those tools, a few functions from Peter Acklam's Matlab Utilities, your favourite function for converting a matrix to a LaTeX table and saving it into a file in a single call, a few exec()-equivalents here and there, and you'll get a rig that auto-regenerates your report/publication/thesis/shopping list/whatever else you might have been doing, in a single run of a single program, should you spot a mistake somewhere deep in the calculations, or a typo in the input.

For one, I don't think I'll ever understand people who use spreadsheets. And copy their results to the word processor. And then spot a mistake in a formula, fix it and proceed to copy the new, correct results from scratch. And then spot a typo in the data.

Why biased? Well, I'm studying control systems and robotics. It's all about task automation. Besides, everything in this field involves using Matlab for something, and just about everyone in the academia (the technical side of it, at least) is using LaTeX, so you just kind of get used to using those two for just about anything after a while, and automating everything with scripts.

Of course, the above assumes somtheing more complicated than a few basic operations in a single line. We're talking about sophisticated calculators here. For simple tasks I'm just using Google...

Have you checked whether the Romans actually grew grapes in England, or are you just repeating stuff you read on the internet? I ask since you say it's impossible today. Which it isn't. Southern England has a proper wine industry. Today, it's even possible to grow grapes some places in Norway.

I know re-posting bullshit you've seen at +5, insightful before can be tempting, but half of your "empirical" evidence is plain wrong, and I haven't found sources for the other part (not that there's much point to it).

This is obligatory, have to show the world we've already spotted it on this NASA probe image.

http://home.online.no/~feldt/wateronmars.jpg

Sitting here on my x86_64 laptop running 64bit Ubuntu I severely doubt any kind of equality would exist with a law like this (but I doubt it will get passed anyway). Clearly it would be a Microsoft Windows only implementation, with no way for others to implement it on other architectures, just like Windows Media formats (emulation of OS or hardware is not equality by the way, it is a dodgy, sneaky hack to get around the inequality by makng everything into 32bit Windows on an x86 [from the codec's point of view]). I know MP3 has it's problems, but with sites like this http://www.mp3machine.com/ (came up in a quick Google search), and software like this http://home.online.no/~ingeroey/AROSAmp/ being released one has to admit that MPEG audio truly does have "platform equality".

--Rob

The first computer we had at home was a Video Genie, which we borrowed for a couple of weekends. Enough to write my first program, anyway.

The first computer we owned was a ZX81, complete with dodgy rampak and even more dodgy cassette storage. No need to elaborate there, I hope. I got half-way through writing a space-invader game, but gave up.

But the first real computer we owned was a Beeb, a machine which seems little known in the US, but was amazingly well-designed in both software and hardware -- as evidenced by its amazing expandability and longevity. We got it when I was about 9; by the time I went off to uni almost a decade later, it was still in constant use, and had disk drives, printers, an external sound system, a synthesiser module, a full-size musical keyboard, a speech synth (bought just before a software-based one came out and made it obsolete), analogue and digital joysticks, a real-time clock, and massive expansion of RAM and ROM. It also had a new OS EPROM with a few tweaks of my own, and an additional EPROM I wrote adding stuff like extended cursor editing and a new screen mode. Amongst the hundreds of floppy disks were some education programs I had published, an album's worth of original music and another of covers, hundreds of pirated games, languages like FORTH, BCPL, and Pascal, fonts, WP and DTP software, and loads more I've forgotten.

(And if you think that's good, I helped turn a friend's one into a fully-working laser harp!)

<sigh> A wonderful machine. When it came out in 1981, I doubt anyone knew just how rich, how ingenious, and how long it would outlast its contemporaries. It was the last machine I knew absolutely inside-out; probably the last one you could know to that level of detail. I could list most of the OS calls, interrupts used, locations of indirection vectors... Ah well. .

Since then I've owned an Atari STE, an Atari Falcon, and then this 'ere Mac, plus several Psions. But I'm pleased to say I've never owned a PC, nor even lived in a house with one!

Yeah, read this instead if you're into science and philosophy:
http://home.online.no/~s-de-la/frontpage.htm

Unfortunately, the rest of the site is in norwegian but I can assure you that it is all very interesting...

Bah, William Gibson actually. Was thinking of the novelizations...

Ms Pacman? classic. anyone remember the funny shaped cartridge it came in for NES?

Link to java emulator based on MAME with Ms. Pacman
--
Fairfax County, VA message board and chat

I don't know what Etics are, either. Apparently, this, this, and this all have it in common, though.

-stratjakt outsies.

Norways largest ISP, Telenor, cooperates with with a special branch of the police. This branch of the police reports childporn sites to Telenor (the ISP), wich then adds this URL to a filter. If anyone tries to enter this URL they will be redirected to a informationpage hosted by the police.

Here is some info (in norwegian):http://www.online.no/datasikkerhet/barn epornofilter.html

It used to be when a publisher released a product, it was bug-free and of good quality. Nowadays, and this doesn't apply specifically to games -- the same can be said for movies, music and all other "software", you're taking your chances when you purchase something. At least half the products on the market aren't worthy and are just fluff, and the other half are un-original and derivative. And products don't stand on their own any more... they're part of a larger franchised marketing and merchandising plan designed to squeeze as much money from you as possible.

The most notable examples are the hoards of terminally-boring FPS games... Wow, it's just like the last 20 games except now you can sit in a turret or your shots damage texture maps.. oooh.

Your memory is a bit rosy, or perhaps you aren't old enough to remember the Pac-Man product tie-ins (cereal , clothes, etc.) sequels (Ms Pac-Man, Baby Pac-Man, etc.) and clones (Mousetrap, etc.) ? And let's not even talk about movies based on Space Invaders....

It's right here, in my music collection. :)

How about bands like Eloy, Birth Control, Frumpy, Jane, Nektar, Focus, Camel, Ars Nova - not to mention more or less heavy spacerock (Ash Ra Tempel, Monster Magnet, Omnia Opera, and my absolute favorite band, Hawkwind)...

If you haven't already, check out this excellent webpage, with hundreds of reviews of progressive bands.

That is not the behaviour of a 3D engine.

Well, its more like the behavior of a 3D engine with a very short Level of Detail distance, and a new texture file to substitute in each band. Combine that with a low cache (maybe just too much texture variations), and you have constant texture swapping.

with nice textures,

Actually, the textures for both the PC and X-Box versions are low-quality downsamples. Thankfully some rather talented fans have taken it upon themselves to fix Ion Storm's mess.

Click here for an example of some of the changes that were made.

There's also an active community on Ion Storm's own message forums. The main website is here.

Given his storytelling and dialog I think he could write great screenplay (I have not read it so I might be full of shit.... He just doesn't want to see his work trashed by the fuckwits in Hollywierd...

Given his storytelling and dialog I think he could write great screenplay (I have not read it so I might be full of shit.... He just doesn't want to see his work trashed by the fuckwits in Hollywierd...

- and it's called "Il Tempo Gigante"

"Il Tempo Gigante" has two engines, one up forward packing twelve cylinders, which at 11 000 revs develops 800 brake horse power. This in turn starts the turbine engine at the rear, with its octagonal carburettor ignition, which gives an extra kick of about 1200 hp at 18000 revs. Jointly these two engines will produce a boost guaranteed to register 5.3 on the Richter scale.

Special equipment includes radar, which provides continuous information on camber and curve radius and unforeseen incidents en route. The TV screen mounted on the dashboard gives the driver a clear picture of rivals disappearing astern. Other extra features a wind-gauge and a trip-counter, compass and barometer, echo-sounder and two speedometers, a peepsight and rotary hydro-valves, as well as a blood bank with Rhesus plus and minus, and a dash of blue blood, should any aristo happen to get in the way.

Some photosof its making and introduction.

No, like this one.

When I saw the title, I assumed the article was about mods based on Scientology.

I have been to svalsat several times and the norwegians are very skilled engineers. because of longyearbyen being a small island you are you have very limited resorces and need very talented people to maintain stubility to the operations center. I am glad to hear that more work from nasa is flowing that way.

Norway is full of nomes allready. (Well it is really more like a -1 Troll, or -1 Flamebait, but whatever).

gnome mirror.

Search

Sorry

Apparently, Ericsson denies the accusations, and I seriously doubt such senders would have any health effects but Iran has made some good progress lately, and it is very serious if Ericsson provides tools for oppression.

Consider a boycot.

Yeh I though about going on holiday in Libya.

What were you thinking about?

"Fire advise google"

"no I have to do sam"

too funny

http://home.online.no/~gremmem/engrish_ttt_caption s/60-80/two-towers-09.jpg

Anyway, most people can still watch without caption. Where to get the DVD?

"Bring your pussy face to my ass"
I was buying it until I saw that.

Sharuman will be using his puppet
Sharuman to destroy the people of Rohan

oh god

Bring your pussy face to my ass

rofl

The Video section, particularly. I love the TechTV blooper, and the helocrash is entertaining. Poor helicopter, it never stood a chance. I hate to see a waste of a perfectly good machine.

no way, this is the best Bring your pussy face to my ass."

http://home.online.no/~gremmem/engrish_ttt_caption s/00-20/two-towers-11.jpg I wish they'd vary my mall content too.

You're a geek, right? I'm a jock and I found this one interesting.

I flipped through the first three pages before giving up. Can someone point me to the hysterical ones?

"how he will take me he is still big for it" (see picture).
X-rated.
"Toast me".
"I say you got to toast me!".

I thought these were the best, aside from the already mentioned one about someone wanting their sister.

I flipped through the first three pages before giving up. Can someone point me to the hysterical ones?

"how he will take me he is still big for it" (see picture).
X-rated.
"Toast me".
"I say you got to toast me!".

I thought these were the best, aside from the already mentioned one about someone wanting their sister.

I flipped through the first three pages before giving up. Can someone point me to the hysterical ones?

"how he will take me he is still big for it" (see picture).
X-rated.
"Toast me".
"I say you got to toast me!".

I thought these were the best, aside from the already mentioned one about someone wanting their sister.

I flipped through the first three pages before giving up. Can someone point me to the hysterical ones?

"how he will take me he is still big for it" (see picture).
X-rated.
"Toast me".
"I say you got to toast me!".

I thought these were the best, aside from the already mentioned one about someone wanting their sister.

Best caption: "my name smeedle"

*nix.org -- View, Save, and Print PDF Versions of the Articles

This picture I found funny, Who knew Golem had Root priveleges to begin with.

I am Aragorn, son of Alfred!

http://home.online.no/~gremmem/engrish_ttt_caption s/20-40/two-towers-04.jpg

rofl

Sorry, but I tried some variants:
Nick Cave -- where is Einstürzende Neubauten?
Sisters of Mercy -- where is The Mission?
Ebba Grön -- where are all the other projects of Joakim Thåström??

Naa... nice try, but....

Aardman have produced a couple of CG shorts recently; the first I saw on last year's SIGGRAPH reel featured two posers in a nightclub trying to pick up the same girl, the second is three little plasticene-looking monsters explaining to the camera why they don't have their short film ready in time, and ends with them singing a song dressed as flowers in a desperate attempt to fill time. The later one is VERY hard to tell it's not claymation. They've also used it a fair bit in their TVC work as well as for certain effects in Chicken Run.

I get where people come from when they decry the use of computers in animation these days - sometime I see the quality of 3D kids shows like Beast Wars or Max Steel and I feel like burning my computer in disgust - but the extreme crappiness of a lot of 3D animation is nothing to do with the tools, just a lack of creativity on the part of the production companies. CGI can be used to create stunning imagery and animations, it's just a shame that as yet most of the stuff the general public sees on TV is just so bad...

That the pictures of the watches used on the site are computer generated images?

That the pictures of the watches used on the site are computer generated images?