I still have the 400, and it works pretty well. As far as the keyboard is concerned, it really didn't see much use: 4 joystick ports + whatever game cartridges = joy.
The tape player (now missing) made you wait to load up Eastern Front, or Zaxxon. But the best games on that platform, IMO: Star Raider & Wizards of Wor.
Why yes, yes, I have seen his work - I think it was at the MFA Boston, jeez, I think it was almost two decades ago (my memory fails on details). Like I said, I'm sure he (and others like him) was shooting for the profound, but my mind was looking for structure, skill, or some relation to reality, and found none of it. At the time, all I could think of was: man that's a big piece of cloth, and hell yeah I can do that when I'm having a really bad day and have a lot of paint in front of me.
On further reflection, I have a similar view on free-form jazz or whatever it's called. It seems like the musicians have reached some personal pinnacle of mastery, and are struggling to "unlearn" or break whatever rules they used to abide by. It's as if they're saying: "I'm so good, I'm gonna be baaaad!"
But hey, I guess that's what art is about: doing a work, and seeing if it clicks or connects with someone.
Thanks for this. I found myself quite near the center:
Economic Left/Right: -0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.82
...which could imply I'm a total wishy-washy fence-sitter or one given to serious thought on an issue-wise basis.
On the economic scale, I do think government has to bear some responsibilities to ensure the collective good, but I am not terribly fond of tax-supported abstract art exhibits. I know that such artists shoot for profundity, but heck, I'm an engineer; I appreciate demonstrated skill, be it with a paint brush, welding torch, or clay. But a Jackson Pollock? Er, I think my kids did that kind of "work" in preschool.
On the authoritarian scale, I think my score may have something to do with being a parent. It is my opinion that we all start out as small mammals. Parental guidance and whatever native abilities or inclinations we have eventually tranform us into human beings.
Finally, a key quote from that site:
U.S.neo-conservatives, with their commitment to high military spending and the global assertion of national values, tend to be more authoritarian than hard right. By contrast, neo-liberals, opposed to such moral leadership and, more especially, the ensuing demands on the tax payer, belong to a further right but less authoritarian region. Paradoxically, the "free market", in neo-con parlance, also allows for the large-scale subsidy of the military-industrial complex, a considerable degree of corporate welfare, and protectionism when deemed in the national interest. These are viewed by neo-libs as impediments to the unfettered market forces that they champion.
Your reaction to fast motion on DLP is really interesting - it's the first I've heard of it. We have a 61" DLP at thome, and have not noticed any illness during fast movies like any of the Bourne series of flicks.
Maybe you have what I jokingly call "Sniper Eyes," which my kids have, when they focus rapidly on my moving head during TF2 sniper war sessions on 2Fort (insert booming UT voice here: HEADSHOT!)
I did some googling, and it might not be the fact that it's a DLP screen. See here , where the writer claims even LCDs can cause them.
That is an excellent analogy: hunter/gatherers transformed into farmers (or ranchers). Tend the crops (or herd), and they ensure continued profitability.
Interesting countermeasure against CSRFs. I can just imagine Mr. Grossman not quite referring to IE (the promiscuous one) vs. Firefox (the safe one).
Given the above and operating conditions being equal (with use of solid anti-virus and firewall measures), it seems to me that if a well-designed browser was used in the first place, then there would not be a need for a "promiscuous" browser. In fact, wouldn't the use of a "promiscuous" browser increase a user's risk when conducting, uh, questionable activities? End result (cue alarming music here): the box gets compromised, and it doesn't matter if a safe browser was used for banking, etc., something nasty now lives in the box.
Continuing the FF vs IE model, if FF was designated for promiscuous activity, then the user is arguably better protected. So that leaves us with IE as the "safe" browser? The mind reels.
I know there are alternatives (Opera, Konq, etc.), but presumably Mr. Grossman is addressing mostly Windows users.
"...uranium is kept in small pebbles made of graphite, which is a neutron reflector material."
Technically, graphite is a neutron moderator, to allow the neutrons to slow down and interact with other nuclei in the fuel matrix. The Chicago Pile 1 used the graphite bricks as the moderator matrix. The downside of graphite is that if a graphite fire starts, it's very difficult to put out. So the pebble bed isn't quite the ideal, IMHO.
"Both reactor designs have a "negative temperature coefficient of reactivity" simply means that an increase in core temperature will cause a decrease in core power. "
This is but one part of current regulatory requirements. The General Design Criteria govern the design of nuclear plants in general, and cores in particular. The downside of having too strong of a negative temperature coefficient is that in an overcooling scenario, you get the opposite effect. This is why Main Steam Line Breaks are considered in the core design.
"More interesting facts: pebble-bed reactors use helium as coolant instead of water..."
Personally, I've always liked the gas-cooled (especially He) reactors. BTW, this has been done before at Fort St. Vrain in Colorado. Unfortunately, because it was a first of a kind (here in the US, anyway), it was plagued by more mundane issues, like seal leakage, etc. Nothing catastrophic, but a pain in the ass operationally.
Sodium on the other had was intended to minimize the impact of metal corrosion. Think about it: with a liquid metal coolant, the fuel, piping, etc. would maintain integrity pretty well. The bad thing is that yes, Na is a dangerous thing to deal with - especially on a large scale. The Experimental Breeder Reactor in Idaho was one such, I think. This is where a lot of the operational problems were discovered.
A reactor can go critical on rod position, or in the case of commercial pressurized water reactors, on boron concentration. You'll find provisions in startup procedures for either method. During startup, rods and boron concentration are used to zero in on the point at which criticality is achieved. Criticality is when the reaction is stable and self-sustaining. If the reactor is subcritical, then the reaction does not continue; conversely, a supercritical condition is needed for power escalation.
The key here is that rods have a control function. Control rods are grouped into banks - some designated for safety or shutdown (i.e., scrams), while others are for regulating the reaction and shaping the neutron flux profile (axial/radial).
Glad you're using Linux. I wanted to email you, but as with some Slashdot users (including myself), addresses are held private. I'm not meaning to be a pompous ass, but while your story was interesting, you might want to consider some enhancements that would serve you well in the future, especially when you attend university:
1. Capitalize the first letter of each sentence. This helps the reader's eye know when another thought starts (or is about to start).
2. Use of periods versus commas. Periods alert the reader that the thought is complete. Commas let the reader know when you've completed a clause of a sentence, but also tells him to expect a completing fragment (or fragments) of your thought.
3. Use paragraphs. Again, this helps the reader. I have a friend who is dyslexic, and really needs to see whitespace from time to time so that the letters and words do not run over themselves. Your narrative could have been partitioned into maybe three or four paragraphs. Maybe:
a) brief introduction and being part fo a select group;
b) the event that led to the reformat;
c) the consequences of said action; and
d) your ultimate solution.
Adding HTML breaks is easy, just use the inequalities to bracket "br" (no quotes, though), and voila!, a line is added.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt: you were in a hurry, and heck, this is Slashdot, so no one cares (dem's fightin' words for ya!). These may be true, but the more you practice proper writing, the easier all your challenges will be, regardless of your future field.
It's H.R. 4279. The resolution can be found here. It looks quite bipartisan.
What I'd like to see is a representative or senator brave enough to say, "I think we need to stop making laws for a while, to see how what we have works, or not." A key feature that is seemingly absent from our legislative process is a feedback loop. One that asks: Is this working as intended? Do we need to change it? Is it being abused? I like sunset clauses too, but I'm only aware of one piece of legislation that had it, the so-called Assault Weapon Ban.
About 10 years ago, I read "Spock's World." One interesting concept from that book was that the Vulcan legislature had a branch dedicated to purging useless legislation. It would be nice to have one of those too.
Just had a thought: that would be one heck of a community project.
Oh, this is beyond the misleading title. This is more like stirring the pot, and rasslin' up some FUD. The funny thing is, the blog cited by the the anonymous reader does a decent job of attributing the difficulty of obtaining chemicals not just on the government, but on more economic factors, like liability concerns on the part of the chem set manufacturers and sellers. The money quote:
If a ladder manufacturer is under a constant barrage of liability suits, imagine the torrent of litigation directed to those giving a child a set of potentially dangerous chemicals. Its a CHILD, for God's sake. [Oh, I'm sorry, for a minute there I was waxing Democrat.]
Further, if you follow the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) link that's found on the blog, you'll find significant criticism of the ATF's enforcement of the Safe Explosives Act, which apparently has been less than effective. From the link:
The SEA was implemented to enhance public safety by expanding the ATF's licensing authority to include the intrastate manufacture, purchase, and use of explosives.2 The SEA also expanded the categories of "prohibited persons" to be denied access to explosives from four to seven. The new prohibited persons categories are aliens (with limited exceptions), persons who have been dishonorably discharged from the military, and individuals who have renounced their United States citizenship. These categories were added to the pre-existing categories of prohibited persons that included felons, fugitives, users of and persons addicted to controlled substances, and persons who have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to mental institutions.
In addition, the SEA required that proprietors, owners, and corporate officers of companies that manufacture, sell, or import explosives submit fingerprint cards and photographs to the ATF with their license applications. It also mandated that the ATF inspect licensees' manufacturing and storage facilities at least once every three years. Finally, the SEA required the ATF to conduct background checks on all licensees, as well as all employees who have access to explosives as part of their work (Employee Possessors).3 In order to identify all prohibited persons, the ATF entered into an agreement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to perform these background checks.4
The SEA did not change the explosives types subject to the ATF's licensing authority,as defined in 18 U.S.C. 841, and it did not increase the number of explosives under the ATF's control. Most notably, it did not extend the ATF's regulatory authority over ammonium nitrate or other common chemicals that, when combined, become explosives.
But hey, the usual emotional (help! help! I'm being oppressed!) response was obtained.
I don't disagree with your post being modded Insightful, and yet I question the value of the insight. "Maintaining perspective" seems to be the theme of this insight. In the geopolitical parlance, the practical implementation of "maintaining perspective" would be the "proportional response," a concept developed in the 1960s, as low intensity conflicts replaced larger scale wars. The idea being, if say, the Syrians hit an Israeli destroyer with a Silkworm cruise missile, then the Israelis would sink a Syrian cruiser with their usual flair...like a covert operation involving divers and/or dolphins. Tit for tat.
In the case of 9/11, we were faced with a truly stateless foe, and the proportional response concept could not be easily applied. Afghanistan, you say? Consider that even under the Taliban's shelter in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda was and is essentially a worldwide movement. Ejecting them from Afghanistan would have proven inadequate; other venues - Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, even Baathist Iraq - could have provided haven, easy or otherwise, for the movement.
I submit that perspective has been maintained. Consider that leading up to 9/11, the dotcom implosion was still going strong, and on 9/12 the economy took a serious beating. And yet the nation did not fold. Why is that?
Because the President did not order a cruise missile with a tactical nuclear warhead to every madrassa between Riyadh and Peshawar. Because he did not launch a Trident at Damascus. Because he did not turn Teheran into glass. Instead, he warned of the long and lonely slog ahead, but continued to encourage people to live their lives. Tough times? Here's a tax cut! A classic Keynesian move to spur a flagging economy. Certainly no one will dispute the existence of added constraints to travel, identification, and maintaining privacy. But now I ask you to "maintain perspective" by realizing that these are but minor inconveniences.
The fact that you can continue to bitch about the President and not be incarcerated speaks volumes about the "loss of basic human rights" you alledge. I grew up in a Third World country run by a tin-pot dictator. I saw my first student riot in 1st grade, and wondered why the high school students were so mad - throwing rocks at an advancing wall of police shields. All our teacher could do was to have us duck down below the window sill so that we had a chance of not catching whiffs of tear gas (and other projectiles). I have had the fathers of classmates "disappear" for their views, and other fathers prosper - all because they had the right connections. Caught selling drugs? Meet the firing squad, baby. We don't need no stinkin' due process. Fight back? Well, it was not so easy, since said dictator confiscated privately owned firearms, including my grandfather's service revolver that saw him and his young family through an Axis occupation.
So again, perhaps the most powerful man in the world - the man who can unleash Armageddon - has indeed demonstrated the strongest restraint, and maintained perspective. Perhaps it is you who needs to reconsider your own.
Er, I think us Asians are a bit under-represented in the "superstar lawyer / advocate" category.
Not that it's a bad thing.
Given that the US is generally an innocent-till-proven-guilty society, if it's case of fraud, the burden of proof is on the accuser, or in this case, the good (or bad) doc's teammate. But y'all knew that. Like lots of folks, I guess I'm puzzled why Congress should even bother: this is an academic tussle after all, and this is very far from settled science. Photo-op, maybe? Or, show that they can say "deuterium?" I suspect a grandstanding session inbound.
I dug through all the replies (as of 1738 EDT), but not a one said a simple "Thanks."
So with as much sincerity as I can express through this keyboard, I thank you for your service.
I can only imagine the horror you've seen and the torment you're going through, but please do think about this: what you've seen, smelt, heard, done, or felt while on duty spared many here at home the experience of what you've gone through.
I do not believe in coincidences: there is a reason another 9/11 hasn't happened here. As much as/.'ers mock the Federal government, the military, the TSA, or Homeland Security, I will never denigrate the efforts of those who at least try to keep that from happening again. Finally, for your consideration, as a father, you may be aware of a prayer that goes something like:
"If there is to be war let it be in my time, so my children will know peace."
For my fellow nukes out there, remember cross-sections ? [Note to self: Wikipedia is like the duct tape of encyclopedias; there's nothing it can't do, but do use with caution]. If the experimenters can improve the probability of the reaction's occurrence, then sure, fusion can result. I mean, who would have thought that less than 100 years ago, setting up a pile of graphite bricks with bits of U metal at Stagg Field would have spawned an entire industry for energy and war. More power to these folks who test the boundaries... just try not to create black holes that sink to the center of the earth and consume it .:-D
... I can only advise him to first obtain legal counsel to seek to address his firing, if he really wants to. The NRA can be asked to assist, but frankly, as others have pointed out, his being a contractor diminishes his chances of getting his job back, since he can be released for any reason whatsoever. And to pursue the point further, would he really want to go back to that job?
This situation is problematic for him from several angles: posing a terroristic threat, creating a hostile work environment, not to mention goofing off and talking about your hobby wasting company time (you know, like cruising/. while at work:-). These are balanced against freedom of speech... and that's about it. Technically, it has nothing to do with the right to keep and bear arms. IMO, his options are pretty limited, if non-existent, and the success path is not clear.
Generally, I advise my students to limit discussing this very fun hobby to when they know they can talk without being overheard. This is not an attempt to censor folks, but a recommendation to be prudent, realizing that not everyone shares our enthusiasm, and that sadly, there is an aura of fear that grows among the more fearful when firearms are casually discussed.
Fortunately for me, where I work, many of us are NRA members and we have been told that people feel safer with us around. I take it as a compliment, and do my best to educate the ignorant but willing to learn (but then again, there are those who choose to remain ignorant, and you can only go so far with them). I specialize in teaching those who've never held a firearm before in their lives.
... Ninjas are far, far superior. No silly "Bays" or other fixed geographical features in which we'd be ID'd, fixed, and killed. Ninjas are everywhere, and nowhere. Ninjas use USENET, FTP, telnet, and very unpopular P2P protocols. You never know if someone next to you is a Ninja... until it is too late.
Definitely interesting that you work for IBM oustourcing, and please, I'm not attacking you, or meaning to be a smart-ass, but what did you just say?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but here's what I *think* you said:
1. If you can farm out a work unit (presumably a task of some sort) to a cheaper (off-shore) resource, you do.
2. But you only do (1) if there is an available off-shore resource.
3. In your view, you're not seeing adequate off-shore available resources that can absorb the workload of 150k U.S. employees to be laid off.
What I can conclude from above is that IBM GS is shedding its U.S. workforce... because IBM GS does not have enough work to occupy its whole (U.S. + off-shore) workforce ? I'm lost.
Slashdot Mirror
I still have the 400, and it works pretty well. As far as the keyboard is concerned, it really didn't see much use: 4 joystick ports + whatever game cartridges = joy.
The tape player (now missing) made you wait to load up Eastern Front, or Zaxxon. But the best games on that platform, IMO: Star Raider & Wizards of Wor.
Well, this is probably as close a situation (an accident, but closer to the real election, anyway) as one can imagine: check out Jean Carnahan.
Why yes, yes, I have seen his work - I think it was at the MFA Boston, jeez, I think it was almost two decades ago (my memory fails on details). Like I said, I'm sure he (and others like him) was shooting for the profound, but my mind was looking for structure, skill, or some relation to reality, and found none of it. At the time, all I could think of was: man that's a big piece of cloth, and hell yeah I can do that when I'm having a really bad day and have a lot of paint in front of me.
On further reflection, I have a similar view on free-form jazz or whatever it's called. It seems like the musicians have reached some personal pinnacle of mastery, and are struggling to "unlearn" or break whatever rules they used to abide by. It's as if they're saying: "I'm so good, I'm gonna be baaaad!"
But hey, I guess that's what art is about: doing a work, and seeing if it clicks or connects with someone.
Thanks for this. I found myself quite near the center:
...which could imply I'm a total wishy-washy fence-sitter or one given to serious thought on an issue-wise basis.
Economic Left/Right: -0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.82
On the economic scale, I do think government has to bear some responsibilities to ensure the collective good, but I am not terribly fond of tax-supported abstract art exhibits. I know that such artists shoot for profundity, but heck, I'm an engineer; I appreciate demonstrated skill, be it with a paint brush, welding torch, or clay. But a Jackson Pollock? Er, I think my kids did that kind of "work" in preschool.
On the authoritarian scale, I think my score may have something to do with being a parent. It is my opinion that we all start out as small mammals. Parental guidance and whatever native abilities or inclinations we have eventually tranform us into human beings.
Finally, a key quote from that site:
U.S.neo-conservatives, with their commitment to high military spending and the global assertion of national values, tend to be more authoritarian than hard right. By contrast, neo-liberals, opposed to such moral leadership and, more especially, the ensuing demands on the tax payer, belong to a further right but less authoritarian region. Paradoxically, the "free market", in neo-con parlance, also allows for the large-scale subsidy of the military-industrial complex, a considerable degree of corporate welfare, and protectionism when deemed in the national interest. These are viewed by neo-libs as impediments to the unfettered market forces that they champion.
Fascinating!
Your reaction to fast motion on DLP is really interesting - it's the first I've heard of it. We have a 61" DLP at thome, and have not noticed any illness during fast movies like any of the Bourne series of flicks.
Maybe you have what I jokingly call "Sniper Eyes," which my kids have, when they focus rapidly on my moving head during TF2 sniper war sessions on 2Fort (insert booming UT voice here: HEADSHOT!)
I did some googling, and it might not be the fact that it's a DLP screen. See here , where the writer claims even LCDs can cause them.
That is an excellent analogy: hunter/gatherers transformed into farmers (or ranchers). Tend the crops (or herd), and they ensure continued profitability.
I like it.
Interesting countermeasure against CSRFs. I can just imagine Mr. Grossman not quite referring to IE (the promiscuous one) vs. Firefox (the safe one).
Given the above and operating conditions being equal (with use of solid anti-virus and firewall measures), it seems to me that if a well-designed browser was used in the first place, then there would not be a need for a "promiscuous" browser. In fact, wouldn't the use of a "promiscuous" browser increase a user's risk when conducting, uh, questionable activities? End result (cue alarming music here): the box gets compromised, and it doesn't matter if a safe browser was used for banking, etc., something nasty now lives in the box.
Continuing the FF vs IE model, if FF was designated for promiscuous activity, then the user is arguably better protected. So that leaves us with IE as the "safe" browser? The mind reels.
I know there are alternatives (Opera, Konq, etc.), but presumably Mr. Grossman is addressing mostly Windows users.
Spy,
To address your points:
"...uranium is kept in small pebbles made of graphite, which is a neutron reflector material."
Technically, graphite is a neutron moderator, to allow the neutrons to slow down and interact with other nuclei in the fuel matrix. The Chicago Pile 1 used the graphite bricks as the moderator matrix. The downside of graphite is that if a graphite fire starts, it's very difficult to put out. So the pebble bed isn't quite the ideal, IMHO.
"Both reactor designs have a "negative temperature coefficient of reactivity" simply means that an increase in core temperature will cause a decrease in core power. "
This is but one part of current regulatory requirements. The General Design Criteria govern the design of nuclear plants in general, and cores in particular. The downside of having too strong of a negative temperature coefficient is that in an overcooling scenario, you get the opposite effect. This is why Main Steam Line Breaks are considered in the core design.
"More interesting facts: pebble-bed reactors use helium as coolant instead of water..."
Personally, I've always liked the gas-cooled (especially He) reactors. BTW, this has been done before at Fort St. Vrain in Colorado. Unfortunately, because it was a first of a kind (here in the US, anyway), it was plagued by more mundane issues, like seal leakage, etc. Nothing catastrophic, but a pain in the ass operationally.
Sodium on the other had was intended to minimize the impact of metal corrosion. Think about it: with a liquid metal coolant, the fuel, piping, etc. would maintain integrity pretty well. The bad thing is that yes, Na is a dangerous thing to deal with - especially on a large scale. The Experimental Breeder Reactor in Idaho was one such, I think. This is where a lot of the operational problems were discovered.
We learn by doing.
Hope this helps.
A reactor can go critical on rod position, or in the case of commercial pressurized water reactors, on boron concentration. You'll find provisions in startup procedures for either method. During startup, rods and boron concentration are used to zero in on the point at which criticality is achieved. Criticality is when the reaction is stable and self-sustaining. If the reactor is subcritical, then the reaction does not continue; conversely, a supercritical condition is needed for power escalation.
The key here is that rods have a control function. Control rods are grouped into banks - some designated for safety or shutdown (i.e., scrams), while others are for regulating the reaction and shaping the neutron flux profile (axial/radial).
Chas, meet Roman.
:->
Allez!
Glad you're using Linux. I wanted to email you, but as with some Slashdot users (including myself), addresses are held private. I'm not meaning to be a pompous ass, but while your story was interesting, you might want to consider some enhancements that would serve you well in the future, especially when you attend university:
1. Capitalize the first letter of each sentence. This helps the reader's eye know when another thought starts (or is about to start).
2. Use of periods versus commas. Periods alert the reader that the thought is complete. Commas let the reader know when you've completed a clause of a sentence, but also tells him to expect a completing fragment (or fragments) of your thought.
3. Use paragraphs. Again, this helps the reader. I have a friend who is dyslexic, and really needs to see whitespace from time to time so that the letters and words do not run over themselves. Your narrative could have been partitioned into maybe three or four paragraphs. Maybe:
a) brief introduction and being part fo a select group;
b) the event that led to the reformat;
c) the consequences of said action; and
d) your ultimate solution.
Adding HTML breaks is easy, just use the inequalities to bracket "br" (no quotes, though), and voila!, a line is added.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt: you were in a hurry, and heck, this is Slashdot, so no one cares (dem's fightin' words for ya!). These may be true, but the more you practice proper writing, the easier all your challenges will be, regardless of your future field.
It's H.R. 4279. The resolution can be found here. It looks quite bipartisan.
What I'd like to see is a representative or senator brave enough to say, "I think we need to stop making laws for a while, to see how what we have works, or not." A key feature that is seemingly absent from our legislative process is a feedback loop. One that asks: Is this working as intended? Do we need to change it? Is it being abused? I like sunset clauses too, but I'm only aware of one piece of legislation that had it, the so-called Assault Weapon Ban.
About 10 years ago, I read "Spock's World." One interesting concept from that book was that the Vulcan legislature had a branch dedicated to purging useless legislation. It would be nice to have one of those too.
Just had a thought: that would be one heck of a community project.
I'd like to know what college you attend, as well as your major, so I can steer my kids away from said institution/field of study.
Thanks!
Oh, this is beyond the misleading title. This is more like stirring the pot, and rasslin' up some FUD. The funny thing is, the blog cited by the the anonymous reader does a decent job of attributing the difficulty of obtaining chemicals not just on the government, but on more economic factors, like liability concerns on the part of the chem set manufacturers and sellers. The money quote:
If a ladder manufacturer is under a constant barrage of liability suits, imagine the torrent of litigation directed to those giving a child a set of potentially dangerous chemicals. Its a CHILD, for God's sake. [Oh, I'm sorry, for a minute there I was waxing Democrat.]
Further, if you follow the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) link that's found on the blog, you'll find significant criticism of the ATF's enforcement of the Safe Explosives Act, which apparently has been less than effective. From the link:
The SEA was implemented to enhance public safety by expanding the ATF's licensing authority to include the intrastate manufacture, purchase, and use of explosives.2 The SEA also expanded the categories of "prohibited persons" to be denied access to explosives from four to seven. The new prohibited persons categories are aliens (with limited exceptions), persons who have been dishonorably discharged from the military, and individuals who have renounced their United States citizenship. These categories were added to the pre-existing categories of prohibited persons that included felons, fugitives, users of and persons addicted to controlled substances, and persons who have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to mental institutions.
In addition, the SEA required that proprietors, owners, and corporate officers of companies that manufacture, sell, or import explosives submit fingerprint cards and photographs to the ATF with their license applications. It also mandated that the ATF inspect licensees' manufacturing and storage facilities at least once every three years. Finally, the SEA required the ATF to conduct background checks on all licensees, as well as all employees who have access to explosives as part of their work (Employee Possessors).3 In order to identify all prohibited persons, the ATF entered into an agreement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to perform these background checks.4
The SEA did not change the explosives types subject to the ATF's licensing authority,as defined in 18 U.S.C. 841, and it did not increase the number of explosives under the ATF's control. Most notably, it did not extend the ATF's regulatory authority over ammonium nitrate or other common chemicals that, when combined, become explosives.
But hey, the usual emotional (help! help! I'm being oppressed!) response was obtained.
I don't disagree with your post being modded Insightful, and yet I question the value of the insight. "Maintaining perspective" seems to be the theme of this insight. In the geopolitical parlance, the practical implementation of "maintaining perspective" would be the "proportional response," a concept developed in the 1960s, as low intensity conflicts replaced larger scale wars. The idea being, if say, the Syrians hit an Israeli destroyer with a Silkworm cruise missile, then the Israelis would sink a Syrian cruiser with their usual flair...like a covert operation involving divers and/or dolphins. Tit for tat.
In the case of 9/11, we were faced with a truly stateless foe, and the proportional response concept could not be easily applied. Afghanistan, you say? Consider that even under the Taliban's shelter in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda was and is essentially a worldwide movement. Ejecting them from Afghanistan would have proven inadequate; other venues - Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, even Baathist Iraq - could have provided haven, easy or otherwise, for the movement.
I submit that perspective has been maintained. Consider that leading up to 9/11, the dotcom implosion was still going strong, and on 9/12 the economy took a serious beating. And yet the nation did not fold. Why is that?
Because the President did not order a cruise missile with a tactical nuclear warhead to every madrassa between Riyadh and Peshawar. Because he did not launch a Trident at Damascus. Because he did not turn Teheran into glass. Instead, he warned of the long and lonely slog ahead, but continued to encourage people to live their lives. Tough times? Here's a tax cut! A classic Keynesian move to spur a flagging economy. Certainly no one will dispute the existence of added constraints to travel, identification, and maintaining privacy. But now I ask you to "maintain perspective" by realizing that these are but minor inconveniences.
The fact that you can continue to bitch about the President and not be incarcerated speaks volumes about the "loss of basic human rights" you alledge. I grew up in a Third World country run by a tin-pot dictator. I saw my first student riot in 1st grade, and wondered why the high school students were so mad - throwing rocks at an advancing wall of police shields. All our teacher could do was to have us duck down below the window sill so that we had a chance of not catching whiffs of tear gas (and other projectiles). I have had the fathers of classmates "disappear" for their views, and other fathers prosper - all because they had the right connections. Caught selling drugs? Meet the firing squad, baby. We don't need no stinkin' due process. Fight back? Well, it was not so easy, since said dictator confiscated privately owned firearms, including my grandfather's service revolver that saw him and his young family through an Axis occupation.
So again, perhaps the most powerful man in the world - the man who can unleash Armageddon - has indeed demonstrated the strongest restraint, and maintained perspective. Perhaps it is you who needs to reconsider your own.
Er, I think us Asians are a bit under-represented in the "superstar lawyer / advocate" category.
Not that it's a bad thing.
Given that the US is generally an innocent-till-proven-guilty society, if it's case of fraud, the burden of proof is on the accuser, or in this case, the good (or bad) doc's teammate. But y'all knew that. Like lots of folks, I guess I'm puzzled why Congress should even bother: this is an academic tussle after all, and this is very far from settled science. Photo-op, maybe? Or, show that they can say "deuterium?" I suspect a grandstanding session inbound.
I dug through all the replies (as of 1738 EDT), but not a one said a simple "Thanks."
/.'ers mock the Federal government, the military, the TSA, or Homeland Security, I will never denigrate the efforts of those who at least try to keep that from happening again. Finally, for your consideration, as a father, you may be aware of a prayer that goes something like:
So with as much sincerity as I can express through this keyboard, I thank you for your service.
I can only imagine the horror you've seen and the torment you're going through, but please do think about this: what you've seen, smelt, heard, done, or felt while on duty spared many here at home the experience of what you've gone through.
I do not believe in coincidences: there is a reason another 9/11 hasn't happened here. As much as
"If there is to be war let it be in my time, so my children will know peace."
So, I bid you Peace.
Only when your enemy's sword misses, but your pen is firmly inserted into his eye socket.
:-D
...it's all about probabilities.
:-D
For my fellow nukes out there, remember cross-sections ? [Note to self: Wikipedia is like the duct tape of encyclopedias; there's nothing it can't do, but do use with caution]. If the experimenters can improve the probability of the reaction's occurrence, then sure, fusion can result. I mean, who would have thought that less than 100 years ago, setting up a pile of graphite bricks with bits of U metal at Stagg Field would have spawned an entire industry for energy and war. More power to these folks who test the boundaries... just try not to create black holes that sink to the center of the earth and consume it .
Blowguns
Bows: recurve, compound, and cross
harpoon guns
spitballs
and lasers... mounted on the heads of frickin' sharks.
... I can only advise him to first obtain legal counsel to seek to address his firing, if he really wants to. The NRA can be asked to assist, but frankly, as others have pointed out, his being a contractor diminishes his chances of getting his job back, since he can be released for any reason whatsoever. And to pursue the point further, would he really want to go back to that job?
/. while at work :-). These are balanced against freedom of speech... and that's about it. Technically, it has nothing to do with the right to keep and bear arms. IMO, his options are pretty limited, if non-existent, and the success path is not clear.
This situation is problematic for him from several angles: posing a terroristic threat, creating a hostile work environment, not to mention goofing off and talking about your hobby wasting company time (you know, like cruising
Generally, I advise my students to limit discussing this very fun hobby to when they know they can talk without being overheard. This is not an attempt to censor folks, but a recommendation to be prudent, realizing that not everyone shares our enthusiasm, and that sadly, there is an aura of fear that grows among the more fearful when firearms are casually discussed.
Fortunately for me, where I work, many of us are NRA members and we have been told that people feel safer with us around. I take it as a compliment, and do my best to educate the ignorant but willing to learn (but then again, there are those who choose to remain ignorant, and you can only go so far with them). I specialize in teaching those who've never held a firearm before in their lives.
Be Silent!
There is NO Ninja Village.
... Ninjas are far, far superior. No silly "Bays" or other fixed geographical features in which we'd be ID'd, fixed, and killed. Ninjas are everywhere, and nowhere. Ninjas use USENET, FTP, telnet, and very unpopular P2P protocols. You never know if someone next to you is a Ninja... until it is too late.
Definitely interesting that you work for IBM oustourcing, and please, I'm not attacking you, or meaning to be a smart-ass, but what did you just say?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but here's what I *think* you said:
1. If you can farm out a work unit (presumably a task of some sort) to a cheaper (off-shore) resource, you do.
2. But you only do (1) if there is an available off-shore resource.
3. In your view, you're not seeing adequate off-shore available resources that can absorb the workload of 150k U.S. employees to be laid off.
What I can conclude from above is that IBM GS is shedding its U.S. workforce... because IBM GS does not have enough work to occupy its whole (U.S. + off-shore) workforce ? I'm lost.
That's funny. The origin of my sig, if you didn't know already can be found here. It presents an apt analogy of human reactions to danger (wolves).